His Saving Grace
by Stormess
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH Captain Sig Hansen has been wary of women and love for five years now. When a chance encounter with a female skipper in Dutch Harbor leaves him missing her, he has to decide if he wants to take another chance on love.
1. Disclaimer

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Deadliest Catch, nor do I know anyone from Deadliest Catch, and I make NO money from this story. I own the idea for the story, as well as certain characters. My created and owned characters are Nik, children of Nik's and Nik's sister. I also own the idea for the Aleutian Starfire, if there is a boat with that name already, it is coincidence and I claim no rights to any real boat of that name.


	2. The Aleutian Starfire

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my little Nikolina and her boat. No money is made from this, its just pure entertainment.

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The crew of the Northwestern had just pulled back into Dutch Harbor after one long, grinding season of King Crab fishing. Once again, Captain Sig Hansen had managed to come back and fill his tanks with crab to finish off the season. Offloading had gone well and the payoff had been worth the headache of catching small pots of crab. What they all needed was a drink at the Elbow Room and then to get some much needed and well earned rest.

In the wheelhouse, Sig was maneuvering his vessel into place at the docks, the sooner they all got off the boat, the better. Just as he was settling the boat into it's place, his younger brother, Edgar, came bounding into the wheelhouse. "Time to get the hell off this boat and get some drinks!" The older of the two brothers rolled his eyes at the enthusiasm of his younger sibling. For him, life was lived on this boat and little place else.

"Get your ass out on deck and help tie up the boat." Sig, mock angrily, commanded his brother, turning his head to fix him with a glare. Edgar laughed and left the wheelhouse, heading out on-deck with the rest of the crew to help tie off the boat. Sighing a bit, Sig cut the engine and leaned back in the Captain's seat, a tired look on his face. The season had been a rough one, but they'd had seasons like this one before, crabbing was never a guarantee.

It had been five years since the day his ex-wife had given him the ultimate choice, continue to fish or come home to family. While Sig was a family oriented man, his crew was also part of his family, and he had an obligation to them. But not just to them, their families were on the line too, he had to captain the boat and find the crab so his crew could make money. There was no other way about it, they depended on him and he had to fulfill his duty as captain.

Rubbing a hand over his face, he stood up and went to leave the wheelhouse, catching sight of his crew standing at the rail watching something. Following their line of vision, he spotted the reason for the distraction of his entire crew. On the docks, there was a yelling fight going on between what appeared to be a captain and a crewman, a common problem in crabbing. Shaking his head, he left the wheelhouse and went down onto the deck, coming to stand at the rail with his crew.

"No, that's not the point! I'm the Captain and on my boat, my word is the law, its not a damned democracy!" Came the voice of a very irate woman, a very small woman. Sig raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips, this was getting interesting. "Hey, I do my job when I'm on deck, so don't bitch at me about it!" The crewman yelled back at her, towering over her by at least a foot, and certainly outweighing her small form.

"If you were doing your job, I wouldn't have a man in the hospital with broken ribs! You know what, get your gear and don't ever let me catch you on my boat again!" She yelled a she put her hands on her hips, fury seen clearly on her face at the injury of one of her crew. Sig and his crew saw the man move to hit her, and all of them nearly lunged forward to get off the boat and stop him. Before they had a chance, she'd ducked under the fist and landed a blow straight to his jaw, sending both of them to the ground from the force.

Edgar's eyes went a bit wide in surprise before he started laughing, the rest of the crew cheering her on. Sig, not wanting to see her hurt, climbed over the rail and hopped onto the dock, walking over and holding his hand down to her. She glanced up through a mess of brown hair and took the hand offered to her, letting him haul her to her feet. When she was standing, she took a step back and pushed her hair back from her face, revealing delicate features that seemed to be untouched by the rigors of being a captain.

The Norwegian felt his heart do a flip-flop in his chest and he swallowed hard, she was completely beautiful. Clearing his throat, he extended his hand to her, "Sig Hansen, Captain of the Northwestern, and you are?" Her green eyes looked him over and then glanced to his boat before taking his hand and giving it a firm shake, "Nikolina Sanders, Aleutian Starfire Captain." Sig's eyebrows raised when he heard her name and her ship, he swore he had to be dreaming.

Everyone had heard of Nik Sanders on the Aleutian Starfire, but none of them expected the skipper to be a woman. "You look surprised, Mr. Hansen, is there something wrong?" She asked as she took her hand back from him, placing it in her jacket pocket. He shook his head and averted his attention, "Just didn't expect you to be a woman, it's a rare thing." She laughed and he felt chills run down his entire body, her laugh was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. "That's what everyone says, I usually don't correct the assumption." Her emerald eyes danced with amusement over having surprised the infamous Norwegian captain.

"Looks like you and your crew could use a drink. Come on, I'll buy you boys a round." She said as she cast a grin at Sig and his crew before starting toward the Elbow Room. Edgar hopped off the boat and walked to Sig's side with a grin on his face, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Who are we to pass up a drink from a beautiful woman?" He asked before taking off after her, followed by the rest of the crew. Turning, Sig put his hands in the pockets of his jeans, looking out over the harbor with a light sigh, she was beautiful, but was the last thing he needed.

He jumped a bit when he felt a hand on his arm, glancing over to see her standing beside him with a light smile on her face. Moving her hand from his arm, she placed it back into her jacket and looked out over the harbor. "It's a really beautiful sight, one of the reasons I became a fisher." She admitted quietly as she took in the sight of she sparkling water. "Du lar den siste tortur din sjel, la ga med det, Sig."(See below for translation) He glanced at her, a bit taken aback at her use of Norwegian, but moreso the words she'd said to him.

Tilting her head to look up at him, she smiled and then held her hand out to him, "Come on then, no sense in standing here in the cold." He hesitated before reaching out and taking her hand, letting her pull him toward the bar. Nik knew about his past, as most everyone did now, but she also knew that he was just as human as the rest of them. If anyone deserved to have some happiness in their life right now, it was most certainly Sig Hansen.

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(Translation) "You let the past torture your soul, let it go, Sig." I know its most likely not exact because I used an online translator, please don't pummel me! -runs and hides in Sig's shirt pocket-

A/N: I don't know Norwegian, so I had to use a translator, sorry to those of you who do speak it and the wording is incorrect. Other than that, there may be a few spelling errors, which I will strive to fix as soon as possible. Next chapter is in the works, please stay turned for more!


	3. Of Dancing, Kisses, and Romance

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own anything except my character. No money is made form this at all, its just for entertainment purposes only. I owe all my musings and ideas to my lovely muse Dena, everything else is owned by the rightful owners. Hope you enjoy the second chapter here.

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Sig sat, sipping on a beer as he watched his crew interact with Nikolina Sanders, taking in every detail about this woman. She was full of happiness and had no problem spreading it around to his work-weary crew, making them all smile and laugh. Emerald pools of beauty sparkled with laughter as she as twirled around the dance floor, her laughter reaching his ears, warming his heart. Silken curls of chestnut brown swirled and fell around her face as the crew spun her around the floor, ending the current song with her dropping herself into a seat, still laughing.

Nik took a drink from her glass and pushed her hair out of her face, turning her head to look across the room at Sig. His pale blue eyes met hers and he tensed up, leaning back in his chair a bit, not entirely pleased with having been caught staring at her. Finishing off her drink, she excused herself from his crew and stood from her seat, making her way toward Sig's table. He watched her walk in his direction, suddenly a bit nervous as he stood up, sinking his hands into his pockets.

When she reached the table, she laughed softly and pulled a chair out with her foot before sitting down and crossing her legs. "No call for such formality, Captain, you don't have to stand on my account." She quipped as she leaned back in the chair, still grinning at him and his overly obvious nervousness about her being around him. He sat back down and took a long drink of his beer, trying to think of what to say to her, knowing she wouldn't want to talk about their jobs.

A song came over the stereo and it pulled his attention back to her, a little surprised when he realized she hadn't looked away from him. Reaching across the table, she plucked the bottle from his hand and took a drink before sitting it down on the table. Taking his hand into hers, she stood up and gave his arm a light tug, a smile pulling at her lips. "Dance with me, Captain Hansen." She said softly as she squeezed his hand. "Sorry, but I don't dance." He said as he went to pull his hand away from hers, finding that she tightened her grip.

Sighing a bit, Nik stepped to his side and took hold of his arm with her other hand, pulling him out of his chair. It wasn't an easy task, but once she had him on his feet, she took both of his hands and nearly dragged him out onto the dance floor. Before he could protest, her arms were around his shoulders, for once being glad that he wasn't seriously tall. They were nearly equal in height, with him being only three inches taller than she was, it was oddly comforting.

The attention in the bar was slowly turning toward Sig and the young skipper who was currently in his arms. He felt their eyes on him and went to move away from her, but she locked eyes with him, using her left hand to bring his right hand to rest on her waist. "Just pretend they aren't here, we'll deal with them later." Nik said with a soft smile as her fingers played with the longer hair at the back of his neck, the soft strands sliding through her fingers with ease.

Against all of his better judgment, he held her waist with both hands, clearing his throat a bit as he started to dance with her. The soft sound of Kelly Clarkson drifted through the bar, controlling the movements of his dancing. Shifting her position a bit, she rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes when she heard the sound of his heart beating. She wasn't used to being this close to a man who shared the same profession, but there was a first time for everything.

Something about the Norwegian Captain left her nearly weak in the knees, a feeling she'd never felt before. He smelled like the sea, and something more that was totally Sig Hansen, it left her wanting to curl into his arms for hours. Problem was, she knew that just like the sea, he was as rough and untamed, a spirit as free as the waves she rode on. She felt his arms tighten around her and smiled to herself, it was time she put her Captain's experience to the test, but not to catch crab, she was going to go after Sig Hansen.

Phil Harris, Captain of the Cornelia Marie, walked into the bar with his sons Jake and Josh tagging along behind him. The entire bar gave a collective hello to Phil and his sons, lovingly referred to as Ding and Dong by all who knew them. Rolling their eyes, the boys sat down with Sig's crew, followed by their dad, who was laughing at the welcome they received. Once the Harris clan was seated, Edgar looked over at Phil and grinned, "Have you seen the latest catch from the Northwestern?"

Following Edgar's line of vision, he caught sight of Sig and Nikolina dancing together, his eyebrows raising a bit. "When the hell did he manage to catch something like that?" Jake and Josh laughed as they watched the Norwegian dance. "He made a grand rescue out on the docks after she socked one of her deckhands and fired him." He said as he laughed and took a drink of his beer, watching to see the reaction from the older man. Phil snapped his head over to look at the Hansen brother in disbelief, "She's a skipper? You're kidding, who is she?"

Before Edgar could answer, Andy and John Hillstrand strolled into the bar, greeting everyone before walking over to the table. They ordered their drinks and then sat down, shaking hands with all the guys before Andy spoke up, "So where's Mr. Northwestern?" Edgar pointed over to the dancefloor and everyone glanced there again, "He's right there, dancing with Miss Aleutian Starfire, Nik Sanders in the flesh." Phil choked on his drink, a similar reaction from those who had just taken a drink, "That's Nik Sanders? You've got to be kidding me, I thought Nik was a guy."

"Apparently, Sig did too until she dropped the bombshell on him, you would have thought she'd socked him with a crab pot the way he looked at her." Edgar laughed as the others watched their friend and fellow skipper dancing together. John leaned forward onto the table and crossed his arms, "I think its time we make a secret Captain's wager this season." Frowning, Edgar leaned in and cleared his throat, "Not all of us are skippers here, so you're going to have to rethink the name, we're all in on this one too."

"So what's this wager you've thought up now, Hillstrand?" Phil asked as he lit a cigarette and took a long drag off of it. "I'm willing to bet a hundred dollars that those two are together before we head out for Opie season." He said as he dug in his pocket and pulled out a bill, putting it down on the table in front of them. Andy dug in his pocket and pulled out a bill, "I'm going to take that bet, there's no way Sig will fall for her before Opie season."

Jake and Josh looked at each other and then pulled out some money of their own, siding with Andy on this one. They all knew Sig too well, fishing was his entire life now, and there's no way he'd fall for a woman so soon. Phil sat in silence for a minute, watching Sig and Nik before he pulled a bill from his pocket, "I'm willing to go along with it, but my money is on them, they'll end up together before Opie season, way before." Edgar laughed and tossed some money down, "I can't bet against the old man, its about time he had some good luck."

When the song ended, Nik moved back from him, smiling softly up at him, dropping her arms away from his shoulders. "Thank you for the dance, Captain Hansen, it was great." She said as she tucked her hair behind her ears. Leaning up, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and then turned to make a hasty retreat before anyone caught up to her. The kiss shocked him, but he shocked himself even more when he reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back to him. Nik jumped when she felt the strong arm haul her back into the circle of Sig's arms.

He didn't know what he was thinking, in fact he could have sworn that he wasn't thinking at all from the way he was acting. The crewmen and Captains' at the table watched when he pulled her back, eyebrows raised all around the table, and the bar as well. Feeling eyes on them, Sig glanced up and cleared his throat a bit before taking her arm and leading her outside. She went with him, not really having a choice since he was intent on hauling her outside with him.

The cold bit into their skin and he saw her shiver because of her choice of shirts, just a normal, thin t-shirt. Unbuttoning his Northwestern jacket, he shrugged out of it and wrapped it around her shoulders, his long sleeved shirt keeping him relatively warm. Normally, she would have considered it an insult to wear another vessel's jacket, but not when it had come from Sig. "Thanks…but I've really got to get going. I have crewmen to check up on, then I have to get the boat.." She was cut off when Sig kissed her out of nowhere, shocking her into complete silence.

Nik melted on the spot, a blush rising to her cheeks as she lifted a hand and let her fingertips touch his cheek. They stood there for what seemed like forever, caught up in this one kiss that seemed to mean everything to them. He was the first to break it, heart beating wildly in his chest as he let go of her and took a step back. She was still blushing when they parted, her heart beating entirely too fast in her chest from just a simple kiss. "I…I have to go…" She didn't give him time to object if he'd wanted to, running off down the snowy path toward the docks as fast as she dared to run on the slick ground.

Sig watched her go with a bit of regret, part of him wanted to run after her, the other part wanted to kick himself. He had no business getting involved with another woman, especially not one who was in his same profession. Not only that, but she was young, too young to get tied down to a man his age, who had already passed his prime. Sighing a bit, he turned and walked off toward the opposite side of the docks to get some alone time for thinking.

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A/N: Ok, this did not turn out how I wanted it to, lol, failed again! Bah, I'm hoping to redeem myself in the next chapter. I got distracted by a romantic notion and wanted to throw them together all at once, but I promise this won't be a short story, there were be more chapters to come, showing the evolution of their relationship. Stay tuned if you dare lol


	4. Edgar To The Rescue?

Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing at all except my little Nikolina.

Note: Thank you SO much for the lovely reviews, I am truly touched! I had no idea when I started this that it would attract so much attention, you all make me blush! I do hope you continue to enjoy the story as it plays out in chapters to come.

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Nik sat in the wheelhouse of her boat, listening to the sound of the harbor at night, letting it lull her into a peaceful state. Her crew was already on an airplane to head back to their homes and families, so it was all quiet on the boat. She had changed into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a loose t-shirt, Sig's jacket wrapped around her shoulders. There was no doubt in her mind that he was handsome, but for one kiss to turn her into a pile of mush, it just didn't make sense at all. Turning her head, she saw someone waving up to her from down on the dock, frowning a bit she stood up.

Leaving the wheelhouse, she went out onto the deck and over to the rail, looking out onto the dock to see who it was. Edgar grinned and waved over to her, "Mind if I come on board, Captain Sanders?" She was a bit surprised that he was there, but she was curious now, "I don't mind at all, Mr. Hansen, come on up." He hauled himself onto the deck and then held his hand out to her, "You can call me Edgar, it's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face."

She shook his hand and shivered, snuggling back down into Sig's jacket before she even realized she'd done it. Edgar laughed and crossed his arms over his chest, "Isn't it bad luck to wear the name of another vessel?" Nik's face turned bright red and she frowned at him, "Don't you start too, now why did you come here?" He grinned and leaned back against the rail, "I haven't seen Sig take a second glance at a woman until you came along. So, as his little brother, I had to come and do some investigating."

Raising an eyebrow, she sighed and then started toward the door leading to the lower deck, "This isn't a conversation I'd prefer to have on deck. I'll make some coffee and we'll talk in my wheelhouse." Edgar held up his hand while he followed her, "I'll make the coffee and bring it up to the wheelhouse where we can talk about my brother." Before she could stop him, he was headed down to the galley, shaking her head a bit as she stared after him.

Rolling her eyes, she went up to the wheelhouse and sat back down in her chair, pulling her knees up to her chest. Edgar came up into the wheelhouse a minute later with two steaming cups of coffee, walking over and holding one out to her. She accepted the cup and took a drink before sitting it down and looking over at him. "So, you say you came to talk to me about Sig?" He leaned back against the wall and took a drink of his own coffee, "Yeah I did, there's a lot about him that I can't tell you, but there's some things I can. And there are a few things I need to ask you too."

Nik raised an eyebrow and looked over at him before taking another drink of her coffee, "I think you should start asking those questions so I can decide if I want to throw you off my boat or not." Well, he had to give her credit, she was certainly enough to keep Sig on his toes. "Questions later. I already know that you know about what happened with him and his ex-wife." She nodded and leaned back in her chair, more than a little happy to see how much he cared for his older brother.

"Sig doesn't need someone who will walk into his life and then walk right back out again. If you hurt my brother, I can promise that you won't have a peaceful life as a skipper." He said in a tone that was all seriousness. So that's what this was all about, he thought she was just out to get close to Sig and then leave him high and dry. "Look Edgar, in all respect to you, I know you're just looking out for him and that's something I can respect. But you don't know me at all, I know he's been hurt and he doesn't deserve all this pain he's been through."

Edgar nodded while she spoke, looking for any sign at all that she could be lying to him, but he wasn't finding any at all. "Sig deserves all the happiness in the world, he's been through so much, and I would never hurt him, Edgar." She said as she looked out the window for a moment and then looked back at him. He took another drink of coffee and put his cup down, "Then I only have two questions for you, and I expect honest answers."

Taking another drink of her own coffee, she nodded in agreement, pausing to reach up and push her hair back from her face. "No offense, but how is it that someone your age, obviously still pretty young, would be interested in Sig?" Nik looked at him like he'd just lost his mind, thought that was probably true, but still, what kind of question was that? "Ok, I know I'm young, but that's beside the point. Sig is a hard working, honest man, and he's an amazing Captain. Deep down, I know he's a good person too, he's just been hurt and he needs someone to help him bring the old Sig back."

A smile crossed Edgar's face as he listened to her, finishing his coffee and then stepping over to her, "That's all I needed to hear, and I'm glad you understand what he's been through. But the warning still stands, don't hurt my brother." He said as he held his hand out to her. She nodded and stood up from her chair, reaching out to take his hand. As soon as she'd taken his hand, Edgar pulled her into a gentle hug, lifting her off her feet for a second before putting her back down.

"Well, and here I thought Sig would be the one sweeping me off me feet." She said with a light laugh before sitting back down in her chair. "Somehow the image of Sig sweeping anyone off their feet just doesn't register." Edgar stated with a laugh of his own before turning to leave the wheelhouse. "Edgar, can you do a small favor for me?" She asked before he could leave the wheelhouse, her green eyes watching him carefully. He turned around and walked back over to her, "Sure, what do you need me to do for you, Captain?"

"Please, just call me Nik, and there's something I want you to give to Sig for me, if you would." She said as she blushed a bit. He laughed and nodded to her, a grin on his face, "Yeah, alright, I'll take something to him, but if he socks me for coming to talk to you, I'm holding you responsible." His response made her laugh as she reached up and took a silver chain from around her neck, a small charm hanging from it. He looked at the charm, noticing that it was a tiny, but very intricate version of her boat, "You want me to give him this?"

She nodded, the blush staying on her face, "I want him to have it so that he'll know I'm always around if he needs me. So it seems a little rushed, but right now, I just want him to know that he has a friend who is there for him." Nik said softly as she placed the delicate chain into Edgar's hand, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He looked down at it and then gently closed his hand around it, "I understand, and I'll give it to him, but there's no promise he won't turn and give it back, that's how Sig is." A smile touched her lips and she nodded, "I'll understand if he tries to give it back, but I won't accept the return of it, you can tell him it will offend me."

Edgar laughed and started toward the door of the wheelhouse, "Oh he'll love this, I don't think he's ever been around a woman with so much fire. Take care of yourself, the Northwestern crew is around if you ever need help." With a wave and a smile, he left the wheelhouse and went out onto the deck, climbing over the rail and hopping onto the dock. Nik watched him go and then leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She knew Sig had been hurt, but he so much deserved to be happy, and she wanted to try to be the person who could bring that back to him.

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A/N: I hope this chapter was good? I know Edgar can be protective, but I'm still trying to work out how all of them should act. Stay turned for the next chapter, which will be, hopefully, just as good as the others.


	5. The Setup

Disclaimer: Don't own anything except Nik, cause she's my new pet. No money made from this either -Turns pockets out, lint falls out with a penny- See, I'm still broke.

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Edgar walked along the dock, heading back to the Northwestern, examining the necklace he held in his hand. He had been a bit harsh with Nik, but when it came to his brother, he'd do anything to make sure he wasn't hurt again. When he came to the Northwestern, he climbed over the rail and onto the deck, starting up the stairs to the wheelhouse. It was going to interesting to let Sig know that he'd been to have a little visit with Nik.

Sig was sitting in his chair, a light frown on his face from how fast she'd taken off after their kiss outside the Elbow Room. For the life of him, he still couldn't figure out what had ever possessed him to actually kiss her in the first place. The sound of footsteps brought him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see Edgar come into the wheelhouse. "Where did you run off to so quickly?" He asked as he leaned back in the chair to look at his younger brother.

Edgar shrugged with a smile on his face, walking over to Sig and holding out his hand, the silver chain dangling in front of him. Sig laughed as he looked at the necklace, "Buying me jewelry now? What's your wife going to think about this?" The two of them laughed before Edgar dropped the necklace into Sig's hand, "It didn't come from me, I promise you that." Glancing down at the charm as the smile on his face vanished at the sight of the ship that was the charm.

"The Aleutian Starfire…were did you get this?" He asked as he looked up at Edgar, holding the necklace in his hand. "I went to have a talk with Nik." Edgar replied before sitting down and crossing his arms over his chest. "You went to talk to her? What did you have to talk to her about?" The elder brother asked as he watched his younger sibling. "What else would I talk to her about? I went to talk about you." Sig tilted his head a bit, fixing his brother with a light glare, "Whatever is going on in that head of yours, you can stop it right now, and take this back to her, I can't keep this."

Grinning, Edgar held up his hands, "I can't take that back to her, she said she'd be offended if you wanted to give it back." Now this was a losing battle if there'd ever been one, the last thing he needed was his brother and a woman teaming up against him. Sighing a bit, he looked back at the chain, hanging it in a safe place. "At least tell me you weren't rude to her during this little chat you had to have." Sig said as he silently hoped his younger brother hadn't done anything to offend Nik.

"Well, I may have been a little hard on her, and I might have threatened her not to hurt you or I'd make her life miserable." Edgar said as he stepped out of reach of his brother. Closing his eyes, Sig put a hand over his face, "You're lucky she didn't throw your ass off her boat for being so disrespectful." The younger of the two just grinned, "She wouldn't have thrown me off the boat for two reasons. One, because we were talking about you, and two, because she warned me before we started talking that if she didn't like it, she'd throw me off."

Sig looked over at him and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm not sure what's in your head, but I don't have any intention of making a relationship out of this." Edgar raised an eyebrow and grinned, "You never know what will happen." Rolling his eyes, Sig stood up and started to leave the wheelhouse to go get some rest, "You're not going to play matchmaker either, just this once, stay out of it." Holding his hands up, Edgar shook his head, "I'm not playing matchmaker, I just wanted to let her know that if she hurt you, she was going to be in some trouble."

"The last time I checked, that sounds just a little bit like matchmaking to me. Look, Edgar, you might be trying to help, but Nik and I don't belong together." Sig said before he started down the stairs leading below deck. "You don't know that until you try!" Edgar called after his brother, shaking his head at the stubbornness of the older Norwegian. "Then she's too young for me." He called back to his younger brother, waving his hands a bit in irritation.

Edgar rolled his eyes and stood up, starting after Sig, "She said that love didn't know any age, or something like that." Knowing that his brother was followed him, Sig walked a little faster, "You don't ever give up do you?" Grinning, the younger of the two put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Come on Sig, its been five years since you've been near a woman. So she might not be the most ideal woman for you, but it never hurts to give her a chance."

"Do you have a smart ass response for everything I say? For once, just leave it alone, I need to get some rest." Sig said as he walked into his stateroom and closed the door behind him. Edgar came to a stop just in time to avoid getting smacked in the face with the door, "It still wouldn't hurt just to be friends with her you know." From inside he could almost see his brother glaring at the door, "Give it a rest, Edgar, I'm going to bed, and don't go bothering her again, I mean it."

For once, he decided to drop it for now, tomorrow would be another day, Sig would be rested and hopefully in a better mood. Turning, he went back through the hallways to the stairs leading to the wheelhouse. Walking over to the Captain's chair, he sat down and switched on the radio, picking up the mic and pressing the button down, "Aleutian Starfire, are you there?" He had a feeling she hadn't gone to sleep just yet, or at least he was hoping she hadn't.

"Aleutian Starfire, Edgar Hansen, is that you?" Nik called back sleepily, pushing back a yawn and rubbing her eyes a bit. "Yes its me, first of all, I'm sorry for being so rude back there. Sig tried to give the necklace back, but I made him keep it." She raised an eyebrow at the comment, the corners of her mouth tugging into a smile, "Somehow, Edgar, I don't see you making him do anything, no offence." He laughed at her comment, she did have a point. "So I didn't make him keep it, but its still hanging up in the wheelhouse now."

"He hung it up in the wheelhouse?" She asked as she leaned back in her chair, getting comfortable as a little smile finally crossed her lips. "Yeah, its right in here where he can see it. He also told me to back off and not bother you again, and not to play matchmaker." Edgar said as he leaned back a bit, wondering what her reaction would be. "Well, you're not really bothering me, so that one you're ok on. As for playing matchmaker, he has a point. If something is meant to be then it'll happen in it's own time."

Well, at least she wasn't wanting to rush into anything, he certainly had to give her points for that one. "Ok, so you have a point, stop before you make me look bad over there." He said as he laughed a bit. "Well, I can't promise you won't look bad, but I'll try to be nice. Just give it some time though, being friends first is more important than rushing into something." She said with a soft yawn, running a hand through her long hair. "I'd better get out of here before Sig comes up here and throws me into the harbor for being in the wheelhouse."

Nik laughed at the image that gave her, of Sig hauling Edgar off the boat, "I wouldn't blame him for it, but that water is pretty cold, so you better not risk it." He laughed and nodded a bit even though she couldn't see him, "Sweet dreams Captain Sanders." She stood up with a yawn, stretching out a bit, "Sleep well Mr. Hansen, and remember to listen to Sig. Believe it or not, he knows whats best for him, and he'll make the decisions on his own." Edgar rolled his eyes, they were both so stubborn, putting the mic back, he left the wheelhouse to go get some rest.

Putting her own mic back up, Nik left the wheelhouse after turning everything off, going down the stairs. Turning the corner, she went down to her stateroom and went inside, closing the door behind her with another yawn. Pulling the blankets back, she slid into bed and settled down, snuggling into Sig's jacket that she was still wearing. Reaching over, she turned the light off and closed her eyes to get some sleep. She had a feeling she'd need all her wits about her if she was going to try her hand at catching Sig Hansen.

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A/N: I'm hoping this one turned out good, I was half asleep when I wrote it last night, lol. I got a few comments in my e-mail about how Edgar talked to Nik in the last chapter. Now wait, I didn't take offense to it, don't think that. My whole intention with that chapter was to show him being the protective brother. And, Nik warned him that if she didn't like what he had to say, she'd throw him off her boat, and she didn't, so really, she didn't take offense to him. I know I know, but I have my own way for things to work out, sorry, but it will all fit together when its done. -Hides in Sig's shirt pocket just to be safe.-


	6. Nightmares For Breakfast

Disclaimer: I only own Nikolina and her boat, everything else belongs to the rightful owners, I don't even own a tiny piece of them. No money is made from this either, so suing me won't get you anything. -Turns pockets out and not even lint falls out this time, eyes tear up- See, I'm totally broke, with not even lint to my name!

Note: Thank you all again for the reviews! I still didn't expect to have so many reviews come up on this, my eyes still go wide at them. I'm hoping that I can get some smash up ideas for the next chapters, just hope my muses smack me around a little bit.

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_The boat rocked menacingly on the waves, the storm had appeared out of nowhere, and in minutes it had chills running down Nikolina's spine. Thunder boomed overhead, shaking the boat as lightning tore across the sky in jagged streaks. She'd been in storms before, but nothing like this one, it was a storm that any Captain would fear. A wave crashed over the deck and Nik had to hold onto her seat to keep from being thrown out of it. There was no way the Aleutian Starfire could take many more hits like that and stay afloat._

_Her green eyes wide, she caught sight of a rogue wave just in time to hit the alarm before it crashed into the side of the boat. She screamed as she was thrown out of her chair, freezing cold water rushing in through the windows of the wheelhouse. The wave had been so strong it had shattered the glass windows. Fear gripped her as she slammed into wall, a lamp smacking her in the side of the head, pain exploding from the deep gash there._

_Struggling to get up, she held a hand to her head, using her other arm to pull herself up, forcing herself to make it to the chair. She grabbed the mic with a shaky, bloody hand, "Maday, maday, this is Captain Nik Sanders of the Aleutian Starfire, we took a rogue wave, we're sinking!" Blood was running into her eyes, making it hard to see anything. She barely heard the Coast Guard replying to her distress signal, her main worry being her crewmen._

_Trying to make her mind think straight, she managed to grab her survival suit as another wave crashed into the boat. Nik hit the floor hard, but managed to stay conscious, struggling into the suit with her heart pounding. After she'd gotten her suit on, she stumbled down the stairs toward the main deck where he crew was already getting off the boat. Another wave hit the deck and she grabbed onto the rail as tight as she could to keep from being swept away. _

_One of her younger crewmen caught her leg before he was washed off the deck, and she reached down to help him up. "Get off of this boat and into that life raft!" She yelled at him as she pushed him toward the rail, no way was she getting off the boat before her crew. Still protesting her, she gave him a glare that left no room for an argument. When he was off the boat, she did a quick mental count of the men she saw in the water with the raft. Her crew was all off the boat and at least had a chance of survival, now she had to get off this thing._

_As she went to go over the rail to join her crew, another wave slammed into her, sweeping her off the other side of the boat. She hit the freezing water with a scream just before she got dragged under by the swift waved. Fighting with all she had to swim up, Nik held what little breath she'd taken, her arms and legs moving to try and kick her way to the surface for air. The frigid water bit into her skin and made it hard to keep moving, the salt in the water stinging her eyes in the pitch blackness of the Bering Sea._

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Nik woke up with a scream, sweat running down her body as she sat straight up in her bed, gasping for air. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, every inch of her trembling from the fear her nightmare had caused. She'd never been so scared in her life, and she sure hadn't ever had a dream like that, one so real. Lifting a hand to her head, she closed her eyes and took a few moments to try and get her breathing under control. That dream, she was sure, had just scared her out of twenty years of her life, which was a hard thing to do, scare a Bering Sea skipper.

On shaky legs, she got up from the bed, taking the Northwestern jacket off and laying it on the bed before turning to leave the room. Nausea swirled her stomach and she shot out of the stateroom, running straight to the bathroom and hitting her knees. Her stomach lurched and she threw up, tears stinging her eyes as she struggled to calm herself. When she was sure she wouldn't get sick again, she got to her feet and leaned against the wall.

"Alright Nik, just pull it together girl, it was just a dream and nothing more." She said to herself as she closed the door and locked it. Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the shower and turned on the warm water. The heat soaked into her skin, slowly soothing the tense muscles from the aftereffects of her nightmare. For the first time in a long time, Nike felt the sting of tears, and for once, she let them come and slide down her cheeks.

It took her a while before she could quit crying enough to finish her shower, thankful that no one had been there to see her weakness. When she finished, she turned the water off and stepped out, drying herself off, wrapping a towel around herself and then walking from the room. She went to her stateroom and closed the door, dropping the towel and pulling on some clothes. Nik settled for a pair of jeans and a light blue sweater, putting on some socks and then a pair of plain black boots.

Picking up her brush, she ran it through her hair to remove all the tangles, satisfied with it was smooth and still slightly damp. Reaching back, she braided it down and then secured it with a hair tie, checking in the mirror to make sure she looked half decent. She made a reach for the Northwestern jacket and then paused, wearing that would provoke questions and rumors, something Sig didn't need to deal with. Leaving it where it was on her bed, she picked up her Aleutian Starfire jacket and pulled it on, buttoning it up to her chin.

Walking toward the door, she paused to grab her knit hat, pulling it on her head and down over her ears to keep them warm. Leaving the stateroom, she went through the hallway and out onto the deck of her boat into the cold morning air. She made her way across the deck and to the rail, hopping over it and onto the dock. It only took half a second for her to realize her mistake as her foot slipped in the snow, an uncharacteristic yelp coming from her as she closed her eyes, she just knew she was going to hit the dock hard.

A pair of strong arms caught her before she fell, and Nik opened her eyes, turning her head to look over her shoulder. She blushed when she saw Sig behind her, a light smirk on his face as he helped her regain her balance before letting go. "You shouldn't go jumping off of boats onto ice and snow covered docks, you could get hurt that way." He said as he slid his hands into the pockets of the jeans he was wearing that day.

Nik laughed at his comment and put her hands into the pockets of her jacket, letting her green eyes meet his blue ones. "Oh come on Captain Hansen, you know you would have laughed to see me waist deep in snow." He had to laugh at that one, shaking his head a bit, "You look like you had a rough night, and I owe you for the drinks last night. I'll take you over to the diner for some coffee and breakfast." Nik blinked a few times and then a smile crossed her face, "Well, how can I resist such a kind and tempting offer? Alright Captain, I accept, but just this one, can't make a habit out of having you rescue me and then sweep me off to breakfast everyday."

Sig laughed, her humor couldn't have been more interesting, and it had the power to make him laugh no matter what she said. Nodding his head he started walking along the dock, "If you don't start walking, I'll leave you here with no breakfast." Nik stared after him for a minute before she figured out he was cutting jokes of his own. She laughed and hurried to catch up to him, nudging him in the side, "You wouldn't really leave me on the dock, out in the cold, hungry. Would you, Captain Hansen?"

He glanced over to her and grinned, "A working man has to eat you know, I'd have to leave you if I was hungry." She looked up at him, a look of surprise on her face, "You wouldn't dare to ever do such a thing!" Sig raised an eyebrow, finding that he liked the way she reacted to things, and how amusing she could be. "I just told you, if I was hungry enough, I would leave you there. You should know how things are at meal times, Captain Sanders." He said as he stopped just outside the diner, looking to her with a grin.

She nearly ran into him when he stopped, throwing her arms out to keep from slamming right into him. They both laughed and Nik felt her heart warm, it was a good thing to see Sig smiling and laughing again. "About last night…I'm sorry for kissing you like that, and for how Edgar acted toward you." He said, a bit uncomfortable with this situation. She smiled and shook her head, "Its ok, on both accounts, I'm not mad at all, and he was only trying to look out for you. Now come on, I feel like I'm starving." Sig laughed as she took his arm and nearly dragged him into the diner, maybe Edgar was right, she did seem to be good for him, at least she made him smile and feel alive again.

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A/N: -Nervously peeks out of Sig's pocket- I fear this chapter more than I fear writer's block. I was aiming for it being more centered on Sig's feelings and point of view, but it failed, lol. Somehow, it got centered on Nik's view, and her dream, with it shifting to Sig at the very very end. I'll make up for it though, unless my muses have other plans. Though I have to admit, I am rather fond of the dream sequence now, I didn't expect it to turn out as well as it did. Anyway, stay tuned for more as it comes to me, I hope you all continue to enjoy this. -Disappears back into Sig's shirt pocket with laptop to write more-


	7. Drifting Closer

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Nik and the A.S. so don't sue me. Besides, you all know I'm broke, or you should by now, I don't even have lint to my name! -Cries-

Note: OMG -Eyes wide- I am so touched and overly shocked, still, at the sheer amount of reviews this thing has racked up in just two days of being written. I deeply thank all of you that read and review this, and those who just drop in to read it. Truly, I'm touched, thank you all so much!

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It was the middle of December and Sig had elected to stay in Dutch during the off season, mainly because of a certain brown haired, green eyed captain. They had spent mornings together getting breakfast and then had set out to do their own things during the day. Until a week ago, they'd only shared breakfast and an occasional wave in passing. Now they had started meeting up for lunch and dinner too, when they weren't busy taking care of business pertaining to their boats. Though he wouldn't admit it, Sig was starting to learn more and more about her, and he was constantly surprised by her.

Nikolina's laugher rang in Sig's ears as she nearly doubled over in her chair from laughing at a story he'd just told her. Tears were in her eyes, her face was red and she was struggling to breathe between bouts of laughter. His blue eyes danced with amusement as he took a long drink of his coffee while she was trying to recover herself. When she was finally able to calm herself a bit, she looked at him and shook her head, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Oh dear, I didn't realize you Hansen men were so crazy." Her comment made him smile even more as he put his cup down.

"I don't claim it so much as Edgar does, he's a riot sometimes, other times he can annoy a nun to insanity." He said as he leaned back in his chair a bit, watching her and actually enjoying the time they were spending together. "I just can't believe he took the time he had to rest and used it to make a dummy to throw off the top of your wheelhouse." She said as she shook her head and took a drink of her coffee to finish it off and place the cup down on the table.

"The Aleutian needs some work today, so I won't be able to meet you for lunch, and I'm not sure about dinner until I get in there and start working." She said as she brushed a hand through her hair to get it away from her face. He nodded to her with a smile, "You can't put a time limit on a boat, its got to be done right. Don't worry about it though, take the time you need to get her fixed." Nik grinned and stood up from the table, reaching into her pocket for some money for her half of breakfast. Sig had learned early on that she didn't let him pay for hers, she'd pitch a fit and always won in the end.

Standing up, he pulled some money from his pocket and put it down on the table with hers, reaching to his jacket on the chair. She picked up her jacket, which was actually his Northwestern jacket that she had opted to keep and actually start wearing. To her surprise, he had also started wearing her necklace, so it was considered a fair trade now. Putting her hat on her head and pulling it into place over her ears, turning to him with a smile.

Sig put his jacket on and buttoned it up before looking over at her and noticing the smile, "What are you smiling about now?" With a laugh she reached out and touched his arm, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Tag, you're it, Captain Hansen." She grinned and then took off out the door of the diner, leaving Sig staring after her. It took him a minute before he registered what was going on, laughing as he took off out the door after her.

Nik had a good lead on him, carefully running through the snow, not wanting to fall down in the freezing cold stuff. Behind her, she heard Sig running and her heart beat faster, glancing behind her with a grin. He knew this was childish, but she was always getting him to do things that he normally wouldn't be caught dead doing. The thought made him smile as he slid a bit, but held his balance and continued after her. She deserved the credit, she was in good shape to be running in the snow and actually staying ahead of him.

Shaking his head, he pushed himself to run faster, reaching out and catching her arm, pulling gently. Nik squealed as they went down in the snow, a cloud of the powdery substance getting kicked up around them. Sig caught himself on his hands before he fell on her, looking down to check and make sure she was ok. Her laughing rung in his ears, her cheeks red as she looked up at him, her hands resting on his arms.

The laughing finally caught up to him and he started laughing along with her, suddenly caught up in the total amusement. She grinned and got a handfull of snow, Sig raising his eyebrows, "Don't you even think about it." It was too late for that though, the snow hitting him in the face a second after he'd finished talking. Blinking a few times, he looked down at her with a mock glare, resting his weight on his knees as he reached down and started to tickle her.

She started squirming beneath him, her head thrown back laughing as she struggled to stop his hands. The two of them started laughing even more, a rolling snow fight starting between them that had the two skippers acting like kids. Nik grabbed another handfull of snow and went to get to her feet, slipping on the powdery stuff with a yelp. Reaching up, he caught her and rolled her beneath him, their eyes dancing with a giddy kind of excitement.

Doing her best to calm her heart rate and breathing, Nik gave in to her fate of being the loser in this game. Sig's laughter died down and he watched her, suddenly feeling a bit out of place in this situation. She lifted her hand and gently placed it on the side of his face, sliding her fingers through his hair as a soft smile crossed her lips. Clearing his throat, Sig lightly kissed her palm and then got to his feet, helping her up to her feet as well.

They stood there quietly, Sig's hands gently holding hers, their eyes meeting as a soft blush crossed her cheeks. Leaning down, he kissed her softly, letting go of her hands and moving them to her waist to pull her closer. Nik was a bit surprised when he kissed her, it was on the second time they'd ever kissed each other. But this time was just the same as the first, it completely melted her on the spot and made her knees feel weak.

Reaching up, she slid her arms around his shoulders and returned the kiss, her fingers playing with his slightly long hair. He was reluctant to break their kiss this time, but he knew they both had work to do before opie season. Slowly, he moved back, looking down into her eyes as a soft smile crossed his lips at the look on her face. She was still blushing when they broke their kiss, pausing for a minute before hugging him tightly.

Sig held her close for a few moments and then let go of her, sweeping some of her hair back from her face. "I'll see you again soon, you get the Aleutian fixed." He said as he played with a curl of her hair. She nodded and leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before letting go of him and starting toward the docks. He watched her go, a bit sad about it actually, for a week now, he'd regretted having to watch her walk away. It was clear he was getting in deep with her, but she wasn't pushing him, she was following at whatever pace he set.

Finally, he moved from the spot, starting toward the docks to go back to the Northwestern and do some more work. When she wasn't around, he had to keep himself busy or he felt the extreme urge to go see her. Glancing back one more time, he watched her get on her boat and then disappear out of his sight for the time being. Running a hand through his hair, he went over the rail and onto the deck of the Northwestern, going up the steps to the wheelhouse.

Nik went below deck and down the hall to her stateroom, pulling on some gear and then fixing her hair into a tight bun on her head. When she was done changing, she left the room and started her way for the engine room. She was already thinking about having to miss lunch with Sig, she didn't want to, but there were pressing issues that needed to be fixed and she couldn't afford to let any time go by. Opening the door to the engine room, she went inside with her tools, pulling a pair of safety glasses over her eyes and getting ready to set to work.

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A/N: -Peeks out of Sig's shirt pocket in a mass of hair and such.- The life of a writer, I'll pull my hair out before its all over with, lol. For once I'm thrilled with a chapter, my muses actually let me write from beginning to end without having to change anything. I was worried they were gonna smack me around some more, like always. I hope you enjoy it so far, stay tuned for more! Oh oh, and to iHedge, you are welcome to join me and my lap top in Sig's pocket! -Tosses a rope ladder down- Come aboard, there's plenty of room, and its warm too!


	8. Lunch Date: Part 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Nik, the rest goes to the respective owners. Nothing made from this, I'm still dirt poor, even moreso since my lint ran away a few chapters ago -Cries-

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Two hours after going into the engine room, Nik was covered in grit, grime and engine grease from all locations of the room. She was cursing softly in Norwegian as she worked, cracking her knuckles on something she couldn't see. Jerking her hand back, she waved it around and then held it to her stomach. "Every damned time! It never fails! Always on the knuckles!" Her mood had certainly fallen since Sig had left, and even moreso since she'd just hurt herself.

Standing up to her feet, she moved closer to a light and checked out her hand, frowning a bit at the blood running down it. "Well, leave it to me to beat myself up trying to fix my baby…" Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a glove and pulled it over her hand, doing the same with the other. Once she was satisfied that she was partially protected for the time being. Picking up her wrench, she got back to her work, knowing she needed to get this stuff taken care of.

Humming to herself, she continued to work, occasionally brushing strands of hair away from her face, which only served to smear dirt and grime all over her. Nik didn't care though, she wasn't the kind of woman who shied away from getting dirty. Being a crab fisher, there was no room for the weak, especially not when he came to getting dirty. And even though she was working, her mind was drifting back to the handsome Norwegian she'd grown so close to.

On the Northwestern, Sig was sitting in the wheelhouse, leaned back in his chair with a blank look set on his face. He was toying with the charm on the necklace that Nik had given him, his mind drifting back to her. Sighing a bit, he dropped the charm and stood up, stretching a bit and then looking down at his watch. For some reason, he didn't want to miss lunch with her today, over the last week he'd gotten so used to seeing her that he couldn't stand to miss any time with her.

An idea came to him and he smiled to himself, if she couldn't leave the boat for lunch, then he would take lunch to her on the boat. Leaving the wheelhouse, he went out onto the deck and climbed over the rail, hopping onto the dock. He walked down the dock in the direction of the diner, sliding his hands into his pockets while he walked. The more he thought about what her reaction would be, the more he was looking forward to actually doing this for her.

Walking through the door, he greeted the people there with a light wave and a smile before going over to the counter. Once he'd ordered their lunch, he sat down to have a cup of coffee while he was waiting. Taking a drink of his coffee, he let his mind drift back to her, there was just something about her that made him want to be close to her. Not only that, but he loved being able to make her laugh and to see how happy she was when they were together.

When he finished his coffee, he stood up from his seat, dropping some money on the counter and picked up their lunch, turning and walking out the door. He walked down the path that led to the docks, careful of the ice and snow that was everywhere. Opilio season would start soon and they would all head out again for that chase of the crab. While he was ready for the season, he was getting reluctant to leave her behind for so long at a time, but they would somehow find a way to cope with it.

Coming up to the Aleutian Starfire, he paused on the dock to take the chance to admire the beauty of the boat. The colors of the boat were a deep, royal blue with a pale blue trim, which Nik kept in top form, like the rest of her boat. Just the opposite of his boat, her wheelhouse was at the back of the boat, she had always claimed that it let her keep an eye on everything. Her superstitions made Sig smile every time she brought a new one to light.

Aside from that, one had to take into consideration the size of her boat, ending at one hundred forty two feet. Nik ran a tight boat too, everything was kept as clean as it could be with it being a crab boat, and there was hell to pay if it was left dirty. That was another thing he admired about her, when she laid down the law, she didn't just put her foot down. She dared anyone to go against her word, especially when she was on her boat, because there, she was the law.

Smiling to himself, Sig climbed over the rail and started to make his way across the deck toward the steps leading below deck. He moved through the hallway to her state room, stepping inside and putting the food down on the small table there. Leaving the room, he went in search of her, hearing a rather loud curse come from the open door of the engine room. Resisting the urge to start laughing, he walked down the hallway to the door, leaning against the entrance to watch her, a smile on his face.

She was using all her strength to tighten some screws on the engine after she'd checked out the problems with it. True to the nature of working on anything mechanical, she let out another curse as she bashed her knuckles against the cold steel again. With a string of Norwegian curses, she glared at the engine and moved away from it, putting the wrench back into her tool box. Turning to leave the room, she caught sight of him and her face turned bright red before she pointed a finger at him, "And just how long have you been standing there?"

He laughed even though he was trying desperately not to do so, unable to keep from it when he saw her all smudged and infuriated. Unfolding himself from his spot at the door, he held his hand out toward her, "I've been here long enough to hear you curse the poor engine into the next decade. I'm surprised it didn't bite you, now come here." Nik fixed him with a frown, putting her hands on her hips, "It did bite me, thank you very much, and not just once either."

Sig couldn't help but to start laughing again as he shook his head a bit, trying to get a firm look on his face. "Alright, enough kidding around, come here." He accented his slight demand by putting his other hand on his hip. Wrinkling her nose, Nik took her gloves off and tossed them aside before going over to the steps and reaching up to take his hand. Gripping her hand tightly, he lifted her off her feet and up to where he was, pausing to look at her hands.

"You know, you should have bandaged those when you got hurt, its going to be irritating as hell now that you've worn gloves over that." He said as he let go of her hands and let his own hands move to her waist, pulling her to him. Rolling her eyes, Nik crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away from him in true, stubborn, Norwegian fashion. It was a gesture that made him grin like a silly teenager, he liked a good challenge, and she was one of the biggest challenges he'd ever come to encounter in his life.

Reaching behind her head, gently, he turned her to face him, letting his blue eyes meet her green ones, holding her attention. She faltered the moment she looked into his eyes, her hands suddenly itching to slide through his hair. Moving them out of the doorway to the engine room, he leaned down toward her, acting like he was going to kiss her. Nik's eyes fluttered closed at the mere thought of his kiss, jumping a bit when she felt his warm breath against her ear, "Go get cleaned up, Captain Sanders, you're a mess."

For a moment she was just plain out shocked, but then it hit her and she looked up at him with a frown on her face. He laughed and turned her around, giving her a gentle push down the hallway, "You need a shower, go and get one or you won't get a kiss." Turning to face him, she had a stunned look on her face, was he actually saying she looked bad?

"Now you listen here, Sig Hansen, if there's going to be anyone withholding kisses, then it'll be me. And as for showering, I'll get a shower when I'm finished with my work and not a moment so…Sig, what are you doing!?" She squealed when he came forward and lifted her up onto his shoulder, carrying her down the hallway. "You always have to be the difficult one, don't you?" He asked in a gentle joking tone that he reserved for times when he was with her.

When he reached the bathroom, he leaned down and slid her off his shoulder and onto her feet with a grin. Stepping back, he pulled the door closed behind him, "And don't even think of coming out of there until you've had a shower." Defiant as always, and loving this new side of him, Nik raised an eyebrow, "What if I refuse to take that shower right this moment?" From outside the door, Sig held back his laugher, "If you don't get in that shower, I'm going to come in there and make you take one."

Nik's eyes got as wide as saucers and she quickly locked the door, starting to strip her gear off and then starting on her clothes. Satisfied with the sounds from the other side of the door, Sig walked back to her room and sat down on the bed with a light laugh. He always had so much fun with the two of them teased back and forth. Of course she'd be a little ruffled, but he liked to see that spark of fire in her, it let him know they were both still alive.

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A/N: First off, do not kill me, this is part one of a two part chapter. I wanted to divide it up a bit and my muse slapped me when I got to this point. They demanded that I stop here and pick up with it in the next chapter. I'm hoping you all will like the next chapters to come, I'm very excited about them to be honest. Also, spaces are available for free rent in Sig's shirt pocket for those who wish to join me!


	9. Lunch Date: Part 2

Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing, I don't make money from this at all. The only things I own are Nik and her boat, simple as that.

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Nikolina stood in the shower, scrubbing all of the dirt and grime off of her body, along with the engine grease. She was used to joking around with Sig, but his latest teasing had taken her a bit by surprise, as if he would have dared to do that anyway. Shaking her head, she knew that if she'd challenged his words, he would have done just what he'd said. Reaching up, she turned off the water and stepped out, picking up a clean towel and starting to dry herself off.

She took her time to towel her hair as dry as she could get it before tossing it back out of her face, dropping the towel. Reaching over, she picked up a dry one and wrapped it around herself before cautiously opening the door of the bathroom. Stepping out into the hallway, she made her way to her state room, stopping in the doorway and raising an eyebrow. Sig looked over at her and froze where he was, unable to stop himself, he was staring at her long, tanned, legs.

"You mind handing me those clothes over there?" She asked as she pointed to some folded up clothes that were sitting at the top of her bed. Breaking out of his trance, he picked them up and held them out to her, purposely not looking at anything but her eyes. A light laugh came from her as she took the clothes and turned, walking back into the bathroom and closing the door behind her so that she could get dressed.

As soon as she was changed into the loose black pants and tank top, she walked back into her state room, hands on her hips. "So tell me, Captain Hansen, what is this all about?" He looked over at her and stood up, holding his hand out to her with a light smile. Nik took his hand and let him pull her close, feeling that familiar nervousness mingled with excitement as it coursed through her. Lifting her arms, she slid them around his neck, letting her fingers thread through his hair.

Leaning down, he kissed her softly, but didn't hold it this time before he moved back, gently moving her arms from around his neck. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he turned her toward the door, "Go up to the wheelhouse, I'm coming right behind you." Deciding to let him have his way this time, she went through the hall to the stairs, climbing up them and stepping into her wheelhouse. Sig came up behind her with what looked like a carry out plate, its contents making Nik's stomach growl.

He went over and sat in the Captain's chair, putting the plate down to his right and then leaning back in the chair, looking over at her. Curious as to what was going on, she walked over to him, "What are you doing with the food? And why are you in my seat?" Laughing at her questions, he took her hand and pulled her in front of him. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he leaned forward a bit and gently held the backs of her thighs, lifting her up and sitting her down on his lap facing him.

A blush quickly covered Nik's face at the intimate position they were in, not knowing what in the world he had planned. His left hand rested on her lower back, the other moving to open the plate, "Close your eyes for me." Doing as she was asked, she closed her eyes, though she wanted to watch what he was doing, and question him about it too. With his right hand, he lifted a spoon up and dipped it into the still-warm soup he'd gotten, made from salmon, which he knew was one of her favorite things in the world to eat.

"Sig, when can I open my eyes? That food smells too good, you're killing me here, I could starve by smelling that you know." She pressed as she resisted the urge to open her eyes anyway, and it caused him to laugh. "Open your mouth, Nik." He said as he watched her face while she thought about the request, hesitating before complying. When she opened her mouth, he slid the spoon inside and watched as recognition crossed her delicate features along with another blush.

Nik tested the flavor in her mouth and then swallowed, a soft smile crossing her lips, "Salmon…you remembered it was my favorite!" Sig laughed and leaned up, kissing her cheek softly, "Like I would forget something like that, give me some credit." Opening her eyes, she laughed and slid a little closer to him on his lap, eyeing the soup and the spoon in his hand. Catching her line of vision, he dipped the spoon into the soup again and held it up to her mouth, waiting for her to open before sliding it inside.

He watched her reactions, in her face and her eyes, while he fed her slowly, taking the time to enjoy this intimate moment. She had relaxed in his arms, letting him feed her without a complaint, which was new for her. Halfway through the soup, Nik plucked the spoon away from his hand, making him look at her with a questioning gaze. Resuming what he'd started, she dipped the spoon into the soup and then held it up to his mouth.

They sat there together, taking turns feeding each other until the soup was gone and Nik dropped the spoon on the plate with a yawn. Sig laughed and reached up, sliding his fingers through her soft, still damp hair. "Did it make you tired?" She nodded and reached up, covering her mouth with her hand as she yawned again. Lifting the plate up, he tossed it into the trash can before lifting her off of his lap and putting her on his feet.

Standing up from the chair, he stretched and then looked over at her, taking her hand into his and leading her to the stairs. He helped her down and then led her through the hallway to her state room, gently pulling her inside and closing the door behind them. Nik went to open her mouth, the look on her face saying what she thought was going to happen. Sig put a finger to her lips and slid his shoes off before turning the blankets down on her bed and sliding in next to the wall, holding the blankets open for her.

Blushing lightly, she slid into the bed beside him, snuggling up to his chest as a soft sight left her lips. "Thank you for lunch, Sig, it was just what I needed." He smiled against her hair and moved his arm around her waist to hold her close, "You work too much sometimes, and you need to eat something while you can, its not crab season right now anyway." Laughing softly, she closed her eyes, covering her mouth as another yawn escaped. Placing a light kiss on her forehead, he settled down and closed his eyes, keeping her held securely in his arms. It was a matter of mere moments before she had fallen asleep, and he wasn't long in following her either.

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A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, I think I faltered in the middle of it and kind of like, fell over, lol. I'll make up for it in the next chapter, promise. But hey, at least there's some tender moments in there! You can't kill me over this chapter, not so long as there's romance bounding all over the place. For now, its late though, you'll all have to wait until tomorrow for more chapters. -Changes into pajamas and then crawls onto Sig's shoulder and covers up, settling down and going to sleep-


	10. Christmas Eve

Disclaimer: Only thing I own is Nik and her boat, everything else belongs to the respective owners. No money is made from this, and I'll always be broke, lol.

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Christmas Eve had finally rolled around, which was a happy time of the year, but it also meant that Opilio season would begin soon. Sig had been planning the holiday out for a few weeks now, but he was still nervous about how Nikolina would react. Glancing at his watch, he finished getting dressed after his morning shower. After he was dressed, he combed his hair out and then picked up his jacket and put it on, heading out of his stateroom. It was before dawn and everything was still dark as he came out onto the deck of the Northwestern, pausing to enjoy the peaceful morning.

Going over to the rail, he climbed over and hopped down onto the dock, starting to walk toward where the Aleutian Starfire was docked. Everything was dark and quiet, which meant that Nik was still fast asleep below deck, the thought making him smile. Lifting himself up, he climbed over the rail and went through the door leading below deck. The dim lighting helped illuminate his path to her stateroom, pausing at the door with a smile as he watched her sleep.

Stepping into the room, he walked over to the bed and sat down beside her, reaching out to gently brush the hair away from her face. Nik's eyes fluttered open, taking a minute for her to adjust to the lighting before she saw him clearly. A sleepy smile crossed her lips and she yawned while sitting up, leaning over and pulling him into a hug. Sig laughed softly and hugged her back, playing with her long hair that was loose for once. "Not that I mind seeing you when I wake up, but what time is it, Sig?" She asked as she rested in his arms, her eyes closed again, but still being awake.

He laughed and placed a kiss on her forehead, "Its five in the morning, and there's something I want to show you, if you think you can wake up a little more." Nik opened her eyes enough to look up at him, clearly debating on whether or not she wanted to strangle him for his timing. "Ok, Mr. Northwestern, I'm awake at this ungodly hour on one of my days off. What is this something you want to show me?" Shaking his head with a smile, he stood up and handed her a pair of her boots, "Might want to put those on, its pretty cold this morning."

Following his instruction, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pulled her boots on, tying them and then standing up. Sig reached out and took her hand, leading her out of the room and through the hallway to the door leading onto the deck. She let him lead her through the hallway and out onto the deck, the frigid morning air making her shiver. He led her to the bow and then unbuttoned his jacket, pulling her into his arms and wrapping the jacket around her.

Nik smiled softly and slid her arms around his waist beneath the jacket, resting her head on his shoulder. "Now that I'm fully awake and out in the cold, mind telling me why we're out here so early?" He held her gently, resting his head against hers; "We're out here to watch the sun rise over the harbor on Christmas Eve." She lifted her head to look at him, a grin forming on her face, "So the rough Captain Sig has a romantic side to him, and its sneaking out to play."

Looking down at her eyes shining with amusement and still a bit of sleepiness, he laughed and leaned in, touching his nose to hers. Nik hugged him gently and tilted her head up, brushing a soft kiss over his lips. He responded to her kiss with one of his own, sliding one of his hands up into her soft, silky hair, his heart rate increasing. Freeing her arms from the jacket, she wrapped them around his shoulders, combing her fingers through his hair.

Using his other hand, he reached into the pocket of his jeans while he slowly broke the kiss with her. She opened her eyes and looked up into his; still holding onto him and letting her fingers play with his long hair. Pulling something from his pocket, Sig took her right arm and moved it down, watching her eyes as he slid a ring onto her right ring finger. Blinking a bit, Nik let go of him and looked down at her right hand, her eyes going wide as she covered her mouth with her left hand.

Sitting on her finger in a setting of white gold was an emerald in the shape of a heart, surrounded by tiny diamonds. Tears filled her eyes, her hands shaking as she looked up at him, "Its beautiful Sig, but I don't understand what this is for." He reached up and gently wiped her tears away, a soft smile on his face as he watched her. "It's a promise ring, and it reminds me of your eyes." She smiled up at him, leaning up to kiss him again, "So tell me, what does this promise ring of yours mean?"

"The season will start soon, and this ring is to remind you that I'll always be with you no matter what happens out there. Any time you need me, you only have to say my name, and I'll be there." Her eyes started to tear up again and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. "Sig Hansen, what am I going to do with you? The next thing I know, you'll be telling me that you're whisking me away for the weekend." Laughing at her words, he nuzzled against her neck, "Actually, my next question was if you wanted to come with me for the weekend and spend Christmas together."

Nik's eyes went wide and she moved back enough to look up at him, "Do you really mean it, Sig? Just me and you for Christmas?" He nodded and slid a hand through her hair, "Of course, if you don't want to come with me, I can just give your presents to Edgar." She gasped and playfully smacked his shoulder, "Of course I'm going to go with you! Its not the presents I want anyway, I just want to spend time with you." Sig laughed and pressed soft kisses to her forehead, "Go get packed up and then meet me at the diner for breakfast, we'll leave after that."

Grinning happily, Nik turned to run toward the door leading below deck, but she stopped and looked back at him. Running back to him, she all but launched herself into his arms, wrapping her own around his shoulders. Sig barely caught her as he started laughing, finally feeling completely alive to see her so happy, because of him. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his while he held her in his arms, raking a hand through his hair.

It was to the point where Nik was nearly overflowing with joy and happiness that was caused by this man. She let her emotions flow into their kiss, saying something from her heart that her voice couldn't do just yet. Her heart knew her true feelings, she'd fallen head over heels in love with him, something she hadn't thought would be completely possible. But here she was, on the deck of her boat, wrapped up in his arms, her heart screaming her love for him.

Sig was much in the same condition, he couldn't have lied to himself or anyone else even if he'd wanted to. He felt like a completely different person since he'd fallen in love with her, she was the sunshine in his days and nights. Putting her down on her feet, he slowly let go of her and smiled as their eyes met, his heart nearly flying. "I'll meet you at the diner for breakfast." She smiled and slid a hand through his hair with a light nod, turning to walk below deck. "Oh, and Nik?" Turning, she looked back at him, "Yes, Sig?" Smiling over at her, he started toward the rail, "Don't make me wait too long, you know I'll leave you." He said jokingly before going over the rail and hopping down to the dock to start toward the diner.

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A/N: This was shorter than I would have liked, and I'm in a bit of a writing block on chapter 9, which aggravates me to no end. I've got work tomorrow, so I'm not sure when my next update will be, so please bare with me while I take care of working, college and writing this. Thanks for your reviews and support, all of you are terrific!


	11. Christa Sanders

As soon as Sig's feet hit the dock, Nik took off running to get her things packed, not wanting to waste even a second. Running down the hall to her state room, she grabbed a duffle bag and opened it up before turning to get started packing. That's when she paused, the only clothes she had on the boat were for working in, not taking a weekend away. Biting her lower lip softly, she kicked her boots off and pulled her top off over her head, pushing her pajama bottoms down and then off. Reaching into her stuff, she pulled out a pair of jeans and tugged them on, jerking some socks on as well.

Pausing for a second, she turned and opened her dresser, pulling out a couple of bras and some underwear, tossing them into the bag. Shuffling some things around, she pulled out a few pairs of socks and put them into the bag, taking a moment to think things over in her head. Rolling her eyes, she pulled some things from under her bed, neatly wrapped boxes that contained Sig's Christmas gifts from her. Finally, opening the drawer of her bedside table, she pulled out a small box that was for the person she was about to go see.

Lifting up a purple sweater, she pulled it on and then picked up her brush, running it through her hair and then braiding it tightly. Putting her boots back on, she grabbed Sig's Northwestern jacket, her empty duffle bag and her wallet, which she shoved in her back pocket. Running back through the hallway, she came out onto the deck, hurrying over to the rail. Climbing over it, she dropped down to the dock, sliding a bit before gaining her footing and taking off down the dock as fast as she could go.

Somehow, unknown to Nik, she managed to only fall once before she arrived at her destination, brushing herself off and then walking inside. "Christa, are you in here?!" She called out into the small shop she'd gone into. A shuffling noise came from the back area and then a honey blond with bright blue eyes appeared out of nowhere. Taking one glance at Nik, she squealed and ran over, enveloping her in a tight hug that nearly lifted Nik off the floor. Laughing lightly, Christa let go of the captain, "I thought you were never going to break away from Mr. Hansen long enough to come see me!"

Rolling her eyes, Nik put a hand on her hip, "I can't help it if he's like a magnet for me, and besides, I came here for help." Christa's eyebrows shot up at the mention of the word help, "Little sister finally came looking for help? Someone pinch me, I think I'm dreaming…and good lord at the size of that rock on your finger!" A blush quickly crossed Nik's cheeks as she shifted a bit, "Yeah, it was a Christmas gift from Sig this morning." Grabbing the younger woman's hand, the blond examined the ring with wide eyes, "There's got to be some serious lovin' going on between you two to get a ring like this, its beautiful!"

Tugging her hand away, Nik put her duffle down and took her jacket off, hanging it up with a heavy sigh. "I'm still in need of your help, if you can stop freaking out long enough to listen to my problem." Putting a serious look on her face, Christa hopped up onto the store counter and crossed her legs, watching Nik quietly. Leaning her hip against the counter, the Captain sighed and then closed her eyes, "Sig is taking me away for the weekend and I don't have anything to wear except my work clothes, and that would hardly make for something nice."

The blond gaped at her sister and then let out a squeal of excitement, hopping down from the counter and grabbing her arm. "Follow me then, I've got some things that are bound to make his mouth hit the floor." Nik's eyes went wide and she fixed her sister with a glare, "I want to look nice for him Christa, not try to make him jump me!" Giving a sigh, the blond ignored her and pulled her into the back room and over to a very long line of clothes that were hanging up. Blinking a few times, Nik looked them over, cringing at a few of the designs and colors she saw there.

"Take your pick of anything you want in here Nikolina, you still get the sister discount, so don't worry about price." Christa said happily as she left the back room and closed the door behind her to give Nik some privacy. Suddenly the room felt very big and Nik eyed the clothes warily, unsure if she should actually attempt to look at the things back here. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples and then started to slowly sift through the clothes that were hanging up. "Jeans….jeans….where are the jeans…ahh ha!" Smiling brightly, she plucked a pair of new jeans from the rack, checked the size and then held onto them to continue looking.

A couple minutes later, Nik had picked out four new pairs of jeans and some sweaters to go along with them. She'd also scored a pair of flannel pajama pants that sported the colors of the Northwestern, not about to pass those up. She turned to leave, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she turned back toward the rack. Pushing some clothes aside revealed a black halter dress that would hit just above her knees. "Don't even think about it Nik, you hate dresses and you hate heels even more." She scolded herself as she stared at the dress, biting her lower lip before giving in to temptation and grabbing the hanger.

Christa looked up from her book when she saw Nik come out of the back room, rolling her eyes at the jeans her sister was carrying. When she spotted the black dress, she put her book down and stood up with a grin. "Wow, you really do have it bad for Mr. Sig Hansen. The last time I saw you in a dress, you were three years old, and even then you tried to destroy it to get it off." The Captain looked at her sister with a blank stare before putting the clothes up onto the counter. "Yeah yeah, enough about my choice of clothing, I've got to meet Sig for breakfast."

Walking over to her bag, Nik dug around and then pulled out the black box from earlier, along with an envelope. Without a word, she placed it on top of Christa's book for her to see later, she didn't want to be there when her sister opened the gift. Moving back to Christa's side, she smiled and helped remove the hangers from the clothes before piling them up on the counter. Nik was hoping that Christa would be alright by herself this Christmas, though she was sure a favor she'd called in earlier would ensure the older of the two of them would have a blast.

Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, the older of the two rang up the clothes and helped Nik pack them away in her duffle bag. Reaching into her pocket, Nik pulled out her wallet and took some money out, pushing it into Christa's hand. Looking at her sister, the blond sighed softly and touched Nik's cheek, "You know, you don't have to keep giving me extra money, you and your crew work too hard for this." Smiling as she put her Northwestern jacket back on, Nik looked over at her sister, "Yeah, but I do it because I love you, and I don't need all that money anyway."

Stepping over, Nik picked up a pair of black heels and examined them before holding them up, "I'll take these too, I'll just have to learn how to walk on them." With both of them laughing, Nik put the shoes in her bag and zipped it up. Leaning over the counter, she hugged Christa tightly and kissed her cheek before letting go. Waving a bit, she turned and left the store to go and meet up with Sig before he got to wondering just where in the world she'd disappeared to.


	12. Breakfast With Phil

Fifteen minutes after Sig had entered the diner, Nik came bounding through the door with a grin on her face. She nearly jogged over and sat down beside him, bubbling with excitement about getting to spend the Christmas holidays with him. He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders, sliding his cup of coffee into her chilled hands. A shiver slid through her and she held the coffee cup in both hands, leaning into his side as she lifted it and took a drink.

"I ordered breakfast already." Sig said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead, more than a little nervous and excited about their trip together. Nik smiled up at him and leaned her head against his shoulder, looking back down at the ring on her finger. "Do I get to know where we're going?" Looking over at her he grinned mysteriously, "When we get there, then you'll know." Rolling her eyes, Nik leaned back and ran a hand through her hair.

When their breakfast was brought to the table, it took her a minute to catch onto the fact of why there was only one bowl. Laughing softly, she picked up her spoon and pulled the warm bowl of oatmeal between them, dipping her spoon into it. Lifting the spoon up, she held it to his mouth, making him smile as he opened his mouth for her. Nik slid the spoon into his mouth, staying cuddled up against his side with a loving look spread all over her face.

But it didn't take her long to remember they were in the middle of the diner, a blush spreading across her cheeks. When she went to slide away from him, he held her against him with a light laugh "Let them watch, Nik, it just lets everyone know that you're mine now." She blushed even more at his words, but inside she was jumping up and down to hear him say that. Taking the spoon from her, he dipped it into the oatmeal and slid the spoon into her mouth. The warm oatmeal slid easily down her throat, warming her from the inside.

Sig removed the spoon from her mouth and leaned in, brushing her lips with a soft kiss that made Nik melt, as always. She'd just reached up with one of her hands when she became aware of the fact that someone else was at their table. Moving back from Sig, she turned her head to look across the table and was met by the grinning face of Phil Harris. "What is this? I leave you two alone for a few weeks and when I come back, you're all over each other like a couple of teenagers."

She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest, "We are not all over each other like a couple of teenagers." Raising an eyebrow, Phil lit a cigarette and took a drag off of it, resting his arms on the table. "So what was this favor you called me all the way up here for, before opie season?" Casting a glance in her direction, Sig gave her a questioning look. "My sister Christa runs a clothing store here, and I won't be here for the holidays this year. So, I was wondering if you'd mind keeping an eye on her for me and make sure she stays out of trouble."

Phil took another drag off his cigarette and seemed to think the idea over in his head, "You called me all the way to hell to babysit your sister?" Putting a sweet smile on her face, Nik nodded innocently, too innocently. "She won't be much trouble, she's older than I am. Besides, you said you owed me one, so I'm cashing in on that favor." Sig started laughing at the look on Phil's face when he realized he'd been outsmarted by the young Captain. "Well damn, you're smarter than I thought you were, and here I thought you'd called me up here to beat some sense into Sig."

Nik looked at Phil blankly before scooting closer to Sig in a defensive manner, "First man to lay a hand on my Norwegian is gonna get it." Phil started laughing, leaning back in his chair as he watched her put an arm around Sig's waist. He noticed the ring on her right hand and raised his eyebrows a bit, "Is there something I'm missing here?" Before Nik could open her mouth to speak, Sig had already beaten her to it, "Its just a promise ring, there's no engagement ring."

Even though he'd left it at that, Nik could have sworn that he added 'not yet anyway' to the end of his last sentence. Though a glance at him didn't reveal anything other than him smiling down at her, gently rubbing her shoulder with his hand. Deciding to drop it for now, she looked back at Phil, "All I'm asking is that you just watch out for her, she shouldn't have to spend Christmas alone, and you need some life in your life. Not just crabbing, sit and talk with her for a while, she's hilarious."

Looking over at Sig, she smiled, nearly bouncing in her seat because she wanted some major alone time with him. Away from working on her boat or running back and forth to see her sister, they both needed some one on one time for sure. Leaning over, he kissed her softly and then stood up from the table, "Alright, we'll go now. You're entirely too impatient." Nik got to her feet and tugged her jacket on, causing Phil's eyes to get a bit wide at the fact that it was a Northwestern jacket.

"Wearing another boat's jacket?" He asked as he stood up, putting his cigarette out and grinning over at Nik. She turned to look at him as she buttoned the coat up and then slid her hands into the pockets of it. "There's nothing wrong with me wearing Sig's jacket, and besides, it's the only jacket I'd wear other than my own. Can't go around jinxing my opie season before it even starts." Phil laughed and pulled her into a hug, messing up her hair a bit before letting her go.

"You two be careful though, seriously. Winter around here isn't a day in the park, and don't do anything stupid." Tilting her head and fixing her hair, Nik looked at Phil with a quizzical gaze, "Stupid? Neither of us are stupid, why would you think we'd do anything stupid?" At that moment, Phil and Sig both started laughing, Sig leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I think he meant no rolling around in the sheets, if you catch my drift."

Nik's face turned five shades of red before she reached out and smacked Phil's arm and then the back of his head. "You just wait until I get back to Dutch on Monday, you have had it, Phil Harris!" She promised as she glared at him, though she was still terribly embarrassed. Laughing at her threat to get Phil back, Sig lifted her up onto his shoulder and started carrying her toward the door of the diner. Everyone in the room turning their attention to the Northwestern Captain and his current 'luggage'.

Gasping softly, Nik squirmed in Sig's grip, trying to break free and get back on her feet, which was a losing battle. "Sig Hansen! You put me down right this minute!" Phil started a new round of laughter as she started off in Norwegian, saying who knew what to the other Captain. Sig just laughed and smacked her on the butt, causing her to squeak as he carried her out the door, leaving a room full of very amused dining patrons, and one very amused Captain.


	13. Getting Closer

A/N: Be warned, in this chapter there will be **MATURE CONTENT.** If you are under 18 or do not wish to read such content, please turn back now, I won't tolerate flaming or angry people. In the same respect, the actions that are being performed are taking place between two people who are in love with each other, and it is consensual. Aside from that, I hope those of you who choose to read this will enjoy it, I was kind of iffy about actually putting this in here, but I grew some courage.

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Many hours later, Nik was curled up on a mass of blankets and pillows in front of a fireplace, cuddled up to Sig's chest. He had rented out a cabin for the weekend on one of the islands, the perfect place for them to spend Christmas together. She'd changed into her new pajama pants and had snagged one of Sig's shirts to wear as a top. A yawn came from her as she shifted a bit on the blankets, causing Sig's arm to tighten around her waist. "I'm not going anywhere, just trying to get more comfortable, that's all." She said softly as she shifted a bit more, trying to find the comfortable spot.

Sig laughed and moved his arm so she could get more comfortable, watching her with pale blue eyes as she moved around. Nik finally settled for laying on her back, one arm resting above her head, the other laying across her stomach. When she settled down, he drew her close to him and then propped his head up on his arm to look down at her. Catching him looking at her, she blushed and then grinned up at him, "What is it?"

Reaching out with his left hand, he brushed her hair back away from her face, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Nothing, just admiring the most beautiful young woman I've ever seen in my entire life." His voice was deep and soft at the same time, it reminded Nik of his eyes, always deep with emotion and thought, but still soft and caring. "A romantic and a charmer, who knew I could be so lucky when I found you?" She cooed, softly, back at him as a smile crossed her face, sliding her left hand along his unshaven face, which she'd refused to let him shave just yet.

Leaning down, he kissed her softly and then moved back, getting up to his feet and walking over to the Christmas Tree they'd set up. Pulling all the presents from under the tree, he brought them over to the blankets and then sat back down beside her. Nik turned over onto her stomach and then looked up at him, "Whats this? You know you're not supposed to open all the presents on Christmas Eve." He laughed and pulled one of his legs up, resting his arm on it. "We'll save one each then and open it tomorrow morning when we wake up."

Rolling her eyes, she sat up beside him and eyed the presents, "Alright then, we'll open them now, all but one each, but you have to go first." He laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek, "You win this time, Nik, I'll open mine first." Grinning, she reached out and picked one of them up, turning to face him as she handed it to him. Taking the box from her hands, he shook it a bit, causing her to laugh before he removed the wrapping paper and then opened the box.

Sliding out of the box came a glass box with a baseball inside it, turning it so he could see what was on the ball, his eyes went wide. "You found an autographed Babe Ruth baseball…how…?" She grinned and shrugged her shoulders a bit, "I know he wasn't a Mariners player, but I'm sure the semblance of it means more." Sig reached over and pulled her close, right into a kiss, out of all the things in the world, she had went off and found something that rare. Nik returned his kiss, laughing softly as she slid her fingers through his hair before pulling out of the kiss.

"Come on, you've only opened one of them, there's still three more for you to get into." Taking another look at the baseball, he put it on the table behind them and then looked back at her. She smiled and handed him the next present, pulling her knees up to her chest to watch him, her eyes dancing with happiness. Tearing the paper off, he put it aside and then opened the box, hoping not to have another heart attack from this gift. From inside this box he pulled out an envelope, casting her a glance of confusion as to why she'd put an envelope in a box.

Laughing softly, she rested her head on her knees, watching him, "Go on Sig, open it, I promise it doesn't bite." Turning his head to look at her, he opened up the envelop, pulling out a travel brochure, which only made him more curious. Opening it up, two tickets fell into his lap and he paused to pick them up, reading over them before looking at her. "A cruise to the Bahamas? Nik, are you trying to spoil me or something?" Grinning innocently, she held her hands up, "Me, spoil you? Never. Besides, it'll be fun to be on a boat that neither of us has to drive, or that gets covered in ice."

He rolled his eyes at her logic, she had a very unique way of thinking, and apparently she didn't put a price on anything. Turning, he put the tickets beside the baseball and looked back at her, "Alright, what are the other two?" She laughed and handed him his third gift, watching as he tore the paper away from the box to open the gift. Nik was comforted and happy here with him, watching his expressions and the emotions running through his eyes. She'd never felt this way with anyone she'd been with in the past, but that's because they hadn't been Sig Hansen.

When they'd finished opening gifts, they had cleaned up and then moved back to the mass of blankets. She had put on the Northwestern necklace he'd had made just for her, and was gently playing with it as she lay in his arms. It was pure white gold and had the same delicate features of the Aleutian Starfire necklace that she'd given him soon after their first meeting. Turning her head, she looked over her shoulder at him, smiling softly.

Sig smiled back at her and reached up to play with her long hair, watching her playing with the necklace around her neck. Moving her onto her back, he leaned down to kiss her, one arm holding him up, his other hand gently running along her waist. Nik lifted her arms and slid them around his neck, returning the gentle kiss he was giving her. With gentle hands, Sig leaned back and slowly started to unbutton the shirt she was wearing. She blushed deep red, shivering a bit in nervousness as she watched him slide the buttons free, one at a time.

He finished with the buttons and then met her eyes, sitting down and gently pulling her up and onto his lap. Sliding his hands into the shirt at her waist, he ran them up to her shoulders, pushing the article of clothing off of her. A shiver worked its way through her when the shirt was removed, looking away from him in a shy manner. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against her bare shoulder, his hands resting on the middle of her back to keep her pulled close to him.

Nik closed her eyes from the warmth of his mouth on her bare skin, resting her hands on his chest, lightly gripping his shirt. Reaching up with one hand, he swept her long hair off of her shoulders, tilting his head to gently kiss her neck. He felt her gasp softly and then shiver in his arms, his lips moving slowly and softly along the line of her neck. She was sure that her heart was going to beat out of her chest because it was racing so fast.

Sig was taking his time with her, learning what she liked, what made her gasp and close her eyes, he wanted to know everything about her. Lifting his hands, he pulled her closer, his lips exploring the other side of her neck now. He could feel her pulse racing and he pressed his lips against the heartbeat, slowly laying her down on the blankets. Green eyes gazed up at him and he smiled softly, tugging his shirt over his head and then leaning down to her.

Nik shifted, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and then smiled back at him, trying to adjust to this new feeling of his skin against hers. For a moment, they lay there together, the light of the fire warming and illuminating their skin. One of his hands was playing with her hair, the other moved around her to keep her close to him. "Is this what you want, really, Nik?" She met his eyes and slid her hand along his cheek, "Of course this is what I want. I want you, Sig Hansen, but not just for one weekend, I want you longer than that."

Laughing softly, he leaned down to kiss her, gently tugging the pajama bottoms off of her, along with her underwear, tossing the clothing aside. She tensed up and he deepened their kiss, letting her know without words that everything would be ok. He moved one hand down between them, dipping between her legs, causing a soft sound to come from her throat. Nik shivered and broke the kiss, breathing a bit heavily, "Sig...I should tell you...I'm umm...well..." Leaning up, he kissed her cheek and then moved to whisper in her ear, "I know you are, thats why I asked if you were sure."

Blushing a light red, Nik shifted a bit, watching him with loving and scared green eyes, still a little unsure of this. Taking a moment, Sig pulled back from her and unbuttoned his jeans, noticing that she had glanced away from him. It didn't offend him though, she was scared and hadn't ever done this before, it was best she didn't see everything to begin with.

When he finished with his jeans and undergarments, he moved back down to her, softly kissing her cheeks and her lips. Nik slid her arms around his shoulders, letting her eyes meet his, "I think...I'm ready." Praying silently, he moved, joining their bodies together in away that took his breath away, his eyes watching her face carefully. Instead of crying, she had a slightly shocked look on her face, it had hurt a little, but what she was feeling was more than enough to surprise her. "Nikolina, look at me. Are you alright?"

She couldn't get herself to think straight, not with what she was feeling right at the moment, her friends and even Christa had told her how great this was, but something was still different. With Sig, it was love for her, and her love for him, not just a physical need they were taking care of. That could have been done when they'd first met, but they'd waited until now, until they were sure of the feelings they had. Hugging him close, Nik leaned up and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Sig Hansen." Her words shaking him and making his heart melt, for her, he would do anything in this world, and tonight he would love her completely, there was no way he could let her go now.


	14. The Miles Between

Opilio season had started and it had torn Sig and Nik apart because of their being on different boats. They talked every night over the radio, but Nik was heartsick at being away from him for so long, she wanted to be closer to him. This season was going to be a long one, and the weather reports only served to prove that the weather was not going to be calm this year. It seemed like all the odds were against the two Captains, at least until opie season ended.

Nik was sitting in her wheelhouse, green eyes keeping a keen watch on everything going on out on the deck. She'd had a man injured during the last season, she didn't need another one injured this season, she just couldn't handle that. Reaching up, she touched the necklace around her neck, her heart aching for him. Keeping herself focused, she picked up the mic for the speakers on deck, "Watch it boys, there's a wave coming port-side!"

Her crew reacted expertly and were guarded from the wave, shaking it off and going back to dropping the pots. "Good job guys." She said as she put the mic back up and relaxed in her seat a little bit, still keeping an eye on the waves. Pulling her pajama clad legs up to her chest, she eyed the sky a bit grudgingly. "You could give my crew a little break you know, they're working their tails off…" She said to no one in particular, wondering what Sig was going at that exact moment.

As it turned out, Sig and his crew were steaming between strings of pots, which gave the crew some time to rest. His mind was drifting back and forth to Nik, missing her much more than he thought he would have. He remembered what she'd said to him on the docks of Dutch Harbor just a few weeks ago, she'd told him to be careful for her sake. The way she'd said it seemed like she had wanted to say something more, but she'd stopped.

After a long, lingering kiss, he'd left her standing on the dock, tears in her eyes as he boarded the Northwestern to head out to sea. She had waved to him, trying not to cry, Phil standing beside her with an arm around her shoulders. The last he saw of her, Phil was hugging her like a father would hug his daughter, doing his best to comfort and reassure her. It nearly broke Sig's heart to have to see her so vulnerable because of what they had to go out and do.

Reaching up, he switched his radio channel to the one he used to talk to her, lifting up the mic with a light smile. "Good evening, beautiful, how are you holding up?" Nik smiled and picked up her mic, speaking back into it, nearly cooing, "Hello handsome, we're all safe here. What about you and your boys?" Sig laughed and leaned back in his chair, "We're good here, steaming between strings now, so they're getting some sleep."

"We're still dropping these last fifty pots." She said as she watched her men on the deck, even talking to Sig she couldn't allow herself to get distracted. "I miss you, Nikolina." He said softly as he closed his eyes for a second and then reopened them to watch the sea. A smile crossed her lips and her heart warmed, "I miss you too, Sig." She wanted to say more, to tell him she loved him, but she'd only said those words one time, and wasn't sure if it had been the time for them.

There was silence between them before Nik forced a smile on her face before speaking, "The season will be over before we know it, then we'll be together again." He smiled, he knew she was trying not to cry, and he knew now was the time to end the conversation for the moment. Crying meant not being able to see, and that mean danger for everyone. "Get your pots set and we'll talk later tonight, take care, beautiful." Nik held back her tears, closing her eyes for a moment, "Be careful going to yours, be safe, handsome."

She switched back to the open channel and put her mic up, wiping her eyes and willing herself not to cry. Picking up the mic for the deck speakers, she sighed a bit before speaking, "Jason, come up here to the wheelhouse." He disappeared off the deck and came up to the door of the wheelhouse, knocking before opening it. "Whats up, Captain?" Turning to look at him, she smiled a bit, "Take the wheel, I'm going out on deck to sling some pots, I need to clear my head."

Nodding, Jason came inside the wheelhouse and took off his rain gear, hanging it up and watching as she stood up. Nik gave him a light smile and then went below deck, pulling on her rain gear before going out onto the deck. Her crew gave her confused glances, but kept quiet as she stepped into doing Jason's job of baiting the pots. None of her crew were greenhorns, and she liked it that way, they knew what they were doing and when to keep quite, like they were doing now.

Slinging pots helped to take her mind off of the pain in her heart, the bitter cold and harsh conditions making her think only about the work. Her crew watched as she worked with the pots, not even slowing down for a moment. It was clear as to why she was a captain now, she knew exactly what she was doing and didn't slack off in her work at all. They were also worried about her though, they all knew about her relationship with Sig Hansen.

It was clear that the Northwestern captain made her happy, but with her being away from him so much and so long, it was taking its toll. One of her younger deckhands was paying attention to her and not the hydraulics, a pot being sent slinging around. "Daniel! Damnit!" Hearing the yelling, she turned around to see what was going on, seeing the pot heading straight for her deck boss. Fear caught her and she lunged forward, knocking him out of the way of the crab pot.

Nik braced herself as the pot hit her in the stomach and knocked her against the sorting table, taking the breath right out of her lungs. Her deck boss, Ryan, ran over to her with a worried glance, "Nik, are you ok? Speak to me Nik." She coughed and then gasped for air, pulling it into her lungs as she fell on her knees, holding an arm over her stomach. Ryan knelt down and helped her up to her feet, concern still showing on his face.

"I'm fine, Ryan, just knocked the air out of me and it's a little sore…" She said as she put a hand on his arm and then stepped back from him. It was the first time she'd ever been hit with a pot, but she knew she'd have the bruises to prove it later. Pushing forward, she continued to work the pots, not letting the dull pain in her stomach and back stop her. The last thing she needed was to have to leave the deck because she'd gotten a few bruises, Nik Sanders never backed away from pain.


	15. Nikolina's Nightmare

After working a whole string of pots, Nik had went back to the wheelhouse, sore and pretty tired, bit it had helped clear her head. She had bruises starting to form from where she'd been caught between the pot and the sorting table. It was a miracle it had just hit her and not completely crushed her between the cold steel. She'd made sure she put Jason on the hydraulics after that incident though, the last thing she needed was for one of them to get killed out there because of a renegade crab pot.

Leaning back in her chair, she ran a hand through her hair, Sig's crew was working on getting their string hauled. She didn't want to bother him while they were hauling pots, it was too dangerous to be distracted in this weather. Her own crew was resting in their bunks, getting some much needed and earned rest while she was heading them back toward their first string of pots. For some reason, she still felt uneasy about something, but couldn't put her finger on it.

Sighing a bit, she took a long drink of her coffee and then looked back out the windshield, frowning a bit when she did. The waves were getting worse now, crashing over the deck and shaking the boat in warning. "Stay calm Nik, you've been in rough seas before…" She said to herself, trying to find that calm that all Bering Sea captains should have. It wasn't working though, something had triggered her fear of this storm, but she couldn't remember what would cause it.

Another wave rocked the boat and she grabbed onto the arms of her chair, her face going pale, she remembered now. She'd dreamed about a storm like this just after she'd met Sig, it had been the worst nightmare she'd ever had in her life. Now, ironically, she was practically living it, except for the moment, there were no rogue waves to speak of. Her green eyes scanned everywhere, not wanting to be caught off guard by anything if she could keep from it.

Pausing for a moment, she braided her hair quickly and tightly to keep it out of her face, her hands shaking by the time she finished. In her head, she was willing herself to be calm and that everything would be just fine. Swallowing hard, she grabbed her coffee cup and downed the rest of the contents, not caring that it burned her throat. All she could think about was keeping her crew safe and getting back to Sig's arms in Dutch Harbor at the season's end.

Every thought in her mind was cut off when a very large wave crashed over the deck of the boat, sending it rocking from side to side. That's when her head turned in time to see a rogue wave slam into the wheelhouse, turning her worst fear into reality. The glass shattered around her right side, pieces of it cutting her face and arms as she held on tightly, smacking the alarm to warn her crew. Shaking the water out of her eyes, she shivered, completely drenched in freezing Bering Sea water.

Leaving her seat, she grabbed a survival suit and jerked it on up to her waist, standing to her feet to get the rest on her body. The boat took another wave hit and sent her flying across the wheelhouse with a scream of pure terror. She hit the far wall harder than she'd expected, slamming her head against the wood lining that was there. Her vision blurred, but she tried to shake it off as she crawled toward her chair and pulled herself up to her feet.

Grabbing the mic with shaking hands, she managed to get her radio turned to the right channel that all the boats used. "Maday, maday! This is the Aleutian Starfire, we've taken two rogue waves and we're…" She was cut off as another wave slammed into her wheelhouse, freezing water rushing in through the open windows and knocking her off her feet again. Coughing up water, she grabbed for the mic again as the boat rocked dangerously to it's right side.

Forgetting the mic for now, she pulled the survival suit into place and made sure it was secured, every part of her body shaking from the cold and from fear. Her hands managed to grab the mic again, intent on trying to give out coordinates. She barely had time to click on the mic before she saw another wave coming right toward them, "Oh God…" It was all she could say before she let out a scream as the wave hit the boat, slinging her across the wheelhouse again and starting to turn the boat on it's side.

Again, she was slammed into the wall of the wheelhouse, feeling her right arm give a sickening pop, letting Nik know it was broken. Every part of her body was aching with pain, blood ran down the side of her face and into her eyes. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she knew this wasn't the time to break down and cry, she had to get off this boat to stand any chance at all.

Managing to get herself up on her knees, she saw that her crew was already in the water with the raft, a good sign. Turning a bit, she kicked the window out of the wheel house and slid out of it as the boat finally fell onto one side. Her crew was yelling at her to jump, and she was very intent on doing just that, not wanting to stay there a second longer. Out of nowhere, a wave caught her and ripped her off the side of the boat, away from her crew and onto the other side.

Frigid waters closed in around her and Nik started swimming for all she was worth, desperately trying to reach the surface. Panic was consuming her, it was too much like her dream, too close to her dying out here alone. After what seemed like hours, she broke the surface and took a gasping breath, something bumping into her arm, which she realized was a life ring. It wasn't going to save her completely, but it was better that trying to make it alone.

She grabbed it and pulled it over her head and then under her arms so she could use it to stay afloat. Turning her head, she saw the last moments of the Aleutian Starfire as the Bering Sea pulled it down to a watery grave. It was pitch black now, she couldn't see her crew or the life raft, and the only thing she could hear was the angry storm and the rolling waves. Tears filled her eyes and she started to cry, she was going to die out here in the middle of the Bering Sea, completely alone.

Sig wouldn't ever know how much she loved him, her sister would be shattered over the news that she'd lost the only family she had left. So many things would be left unsaid to everyone she loved and cared for because she'd always held back. Her soul was crying because she knew that without being on that raft, she didn't have much of a chance to live more than a few hours out here. That's when she closed her eyes and turned her face toward the sky, "I love you Sig, I just wish you knew how much…"


	16. The Rescue

The mayday froze every captain who heard it, something like that was never a thing anyone wanted to hear. Phil's heart nearly stopped beating when he heard Nik's voice on the radio, she was terrified and there was nothing he could do. When he'd talked to her only an hour ago, they were miles and miles away from each other, he'd never make it in time to save her. Running a hand through his hair, he said a silent prayer for her, not wanting anything to happen to her.

Andy and Jonathan Hillstrand had been joking around in the wheelhouse when the call went out from Nik's boat. Both of them had stopped what they were doing, shaken to hear that a captain like Nik would be in such distress. The Aleutian Starfire was one of the best boats out there, they'd never been in any weather it couldn't handle, until now. Jonathan checked their coordinates against the last ones they had for her boat, looking to see if they could go help her and her crew.

Shaking his head, he looked at Andy and then sat down, putting his head in his hands, storms like this were meant to kill people. Everyone knew she'd been sailing right into that storm, but they also knew she was a good captain. She should have been able to handle the storm, but rogue waves were a completely different story. From the way she'd sounded, there was more than enough reason to panic when the waves rocked her boat.

On the Northwestern, Sig's entire body froze when he heard Nik's panicked voice over the radio when she tried for help. He felt like he was drowning in the sea of emotion that crashed over him from hearing the woman he loved in so much danger. Grabbing the mic for the speakers on the deck, he tried to control himself a bit. "Get that pot put up now! Nikolina is in trouble and we're going to get her!" Edgar didn't waste time with the pot, taking the line off the block and tossing it back into the water, he wasn't going to waste time with the crab when lives were on the line.

The Coast Guard was already on their way to rescue the crew, but finding Nik in a storm like this would be near impossible. Sig knew exactly where Nik had been fishing, and he wasn't far from her location, wanting to stay near her. His heart was nearly breaking in his chest, knowing he had to get there for her and for her crew, even with the Coast Guard on the way. He had the boat going as fast as he dared in this weather, praying that all of them would be safe.

In a little over an hour, the Coast Guard had located the life raft and was hauling the crewmen up into the chopper. Jason was the first one up, a look of fear on his face, "Captain Sanders isn't on the raft, she got swept off by a wave." The man flying the chopper nodded to Jason and then radioed in, "The crewmen are all safe and we're bringing them onto the chopper, the captain isn't with them. They said she was swept off the boat by a wave and they haven't seen her since then.

Sig heard the radio transmission and he was sure that his heart stopped, she wasn't on the life raft, that meant she was in the rough, raging sea. Edgar came into the wheelhouse and walked over to his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her, Sig, one way or another, we'll find her and get her on this boat." He barely heard his brother as he checked the coordinates from where he'd last seen Nik's boat, nothing short of having her in his arms would ease his fears.

Out in the middle of the Bering Sea, Nik was trying to stay awake, her head was throbbing and she couldn't feel her arm anymore. Being drenched before getting thrown into the water hadn't helped her at all, and she knew that she wouldn't last much longer out here. A wave crashed over her and she shivered violently, coughing up a mouthful of water before she gasped for air. In the distance, she thought she saw the lights of a boat, but no one had been that close to her boat.

Turning to look at the lights, she coughed again, her throat raw and hurting from the cold and the salt water that continuously invaded her throat. Leaning her head on the life ring, she started to let her eyes close, near to the point of giving up. The frigid waters had numbed her almost completely, making her grow tired and sleepy, something that was beyond dangerous in this kind of situation. Her eyes finally closed all the way, and Nik didn't even feel like trying anymore.

Edgar and the rest of the Northwestern crew had gone back out onto the deck, keeping their eyes open to try and spot Nik. Sig was nearly beside himself up in the wheelhouse, his eyes scanning every inch of the water he could see clearly. From Edgar's left, Matt shouted over to him, "There's something in the water over there!" Running over to Matt, Edgar looked out over the water, seeing the flash of orange in the darkness of the water.

Turning around, he ran over to the steps leading to the wheelhouse, nearly taking them two at a time as he opened the door. "There's something in the water to the port side, it looks like it could be a survival suit." Sig turned the boat and then jumped out of his chair, leaving Edgar to steer the boat as he went out onto the deck. Matt pointed out the flash of orange, and Sig had a ray of hope that she was still alive just out of their reach.

Nik wasn't even conscious anymore, and she was slowly slipping out of the life ring that she'd been using to stay up. Her breathing was shallow, and she didn't even hear the engine of the Northwestern as it came up near her. If it hadn't been for Matt holding him back, Sig would have leapt into the water to get to her. She wasn't moving at all and he could feel tears stinging his eyes, helplessly looking at the woman he loved while his crew rushed to pull her from the water.

As soon as she was onboard, Matt let go of him and Sig rushed forward, letting Jake help him carry her inside. They took her to his stateroom and got the survival suit off of her, at which point, Sig made Jake leave the room. Closing the door, he quickly took out his knife and cut the soaking wet clothes away from her body. He saw the bruises, deep gashes from the glass and other injuries she'd gotten since they had last talked.

Swallowing hard, he grabbed one of his sweat shirts and pulled it onto her, along with a pair of thick, warm pants. Kicking his shoes off, he got into the bed with her, pulling her close to him to get her warmed up. Edgar came into the room and gently touched Sig's shoulder, "She needs to have her injuries looked at." Reluctantly, Sig let go of her and moved so Edgar could inspect the extent of damage that had been done to her.

The first thing he found was that her arm had been broken, carefully setting it back and then splinting it, wrapping it up with bandage material. After that, he cleaned and bandaged the cuts and gashes that were all over her right side. When he finished, he quietly left the room as Sig crawled back into the bed and held her close to him. He softly kissed her forehead a little calmer now that he had her in his arms and he knew she was alive.

Emotionally drained, he closed his eyes, tucking the blankets around them before settling down a bit. It didn't take him long before he fell asleep with her in his arms, resting his head against hers in a loving way. Edgar was trusted to steer the boat, and Sig wasn't worried anymore, the crew of the Aleutian Starfire and it's captain were now safe. It was that comforting thought that let sleep completely take him, too emotionally drained to go on any longer without sleeping.


	17. Northwestern Family

Nik groggily opened her eyes much later, she had no idea what was going on, she was surrounded by warmth. The first thought that came to her mind was that she was dead, the Bering Sea was far from warm, so death was the only explanation. She went to move and pain ripped through her so fiercely that it made her hiss from the feeling. Every inch of her body was racked with pain, oh yeah, she was definitely alive, no doubt about it now.

The second she moved, Sig jerked awake and sat straight up, looking down at her with his heart hammering in his chest. When he saw that she was awake, he relaxed and reached out, stroking her hair softly. "Nik…thank God you're alright.." Her eyes opened and she was me by his pale blue eyes, a wave of relief washing over her. "Sig…what happened? How did I get here?" He hesitated for a moment before raking a hand through his hair.

"The Aleutian went down, you were knocked off the boat by a wave before you could get to the life raft." Memories flooded through her mind and tears ran down her cheeks at the images in her head, "Oh God, the crew! Sig are they ok!?" He shushed her gently and stroked her hair to calm her down, "They're fine, the Coast Guard rescued them, sweetheart. Calm down, everyone is safe now." She closed her eyes, brushing a hand over her face to wipe away the tears.

She tested her body to judge the extent of her injuries, gritting her teeth when she moved in certain directions. Carefully, she raised up into a sitting position and leaned back against the wall behind her, trying to urge her body to work with her. Sig watched her quietly, thankful she was alive, she'd be sore for a long while, but her life was the most important thing. Reaching to the table beside his bed, he picked up a bottle of water and held it out to her.

A pained smiled crossed her lips and she took the bottle, letting him remove the cap before she took a drink. It soothed her sore throat on the way down, making her relax a bit more, lessening the pain she was in. "Do you think you can stand up?" She looked over at him and carefully moved so that her legs were over the side of the bunk. He watched the pained look cross her face and he reached out to her good hand and helped her up.

It took long minutes for her to gain her balance and be able to stand on her own, relieved when she could stand through the pain. She wrapped her good arm around him and hugged him tightly, tears stinging her eyes again. He hugged her gently, resting his head against hers, a sense of happiness coming over him with her here in his arms. "Sig…there's something I have to tell you, I can't wait any longer." Moving back from her, he looked into her green eyes, "What is it, Nik?"

Nik looked back into his eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks from the sheer amount of emotion that was running through her. "When I was out there all alone…I realized how much I need you. The thought of never seeing you again broke my heart. I'm in love with you, Sig, completely head over heels in love." A smile crossed his face and he leaned in, kissing her softly, his hands on either side of her face, those words making his heart soar.

When he broke the kiss, he was still smiling while he looked at her, "I love you too Nikolina Sanders, more than anything in this world. The thought of losing you was more painful than anything I've ever experienced in my life." They embraced each other in a second kiss, this one long, sensual and full of their love for each other. Even though she was still in pain, Nik barely noticed it, all of her attention on the man she loved, and who loved her.

Edgar opened the door to Sig's room and was met by the sight of the two locked in a loving, passionate kiss. He grinned and leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest, "Are you two going to stand around and make out all day?" Nik pulled back and blushed, but started laughing as she threw herself into Edgar's arms and hugged him tightly. The younger of the brothers was shocked at first, but he hugged her back gently.

Sig watched them with a smile and a laugh, his heart warming at the sight of Edgar accepting her so willingly into their little family. It wasn't often that Edgar allowed anyone to get close to them, but she had a special place in their hearts. Matt came around the corner and let out a yell, "Hey guys, she's awake now!" Nik heard a chorus of yelling and cheering before the rest of the crew appeared outside of Sig's state room, causing her and Sig to both start laughing.

Moving to the side, she looked at Matt, Jake, Norman and Nick, a soft smile crossing her face as she looked at the men. Stepping past Edgar, she managed to make it over to Matt, enveloping him in a tight hug, which he returned with a smile. Sig watched as she moved from one to the other, hugging every one of them tightly, lovingly. It was almost like she was considering them as family, even though she hadn't spent much time with them at all.

After she'd hugged them all, she stood back and looked at them, "I owe all of you my life, really I do, you saved me out there." Some of them blushed, but they were all smiling as Sig came up and put his arm around her shoulders. "If you'll excuse us, the Northwestern needs her captain, and the captain needs his woman." The crew cheered as Sig lifted Nik off her feet and carried her through the hallway to the stairs, going up them and into the wheelhouse.

He went over to his chair and sat down, sitting her on his lap with a smile, "We'll be in Dutch in a few hours." She smiled and leaned against his chest, comforted to feel him back with her again, this was right where she belonged. "Hey Sig?" His arms came around her waist and he held her gently against his body, kissing the back of her head. "Hmm? What is it, beautiful?" Shifting a bit, she looked at him with a grin, "What do you think about May?"

Tilting his head, he looked at her, confused by the question she'd just asked him, "May? I'm not following you, sweetheart, care to enlighten me?" Nik laughed and then closed her eyes a bit, "Well, I could, but that would ruin all the fun of the game." Laughing softly, he kissed her cheek, "If you say so, but just remember, on my boat, I always figure out whats going on." Grinning back at him, Nik leaned her head back against his shoulder, "Just remember, Captain Hansen, I'm no ordinary woman, I'm a Captain too, and I always win."


	18. Epilogue

Three years had passed since the sinking of the Aleutian Starfire, but it was never far from Nikolina's mind. Today, she was getting married to Sig on the deck of the Northwestern, and she was more nervous than she'd ever been in her life. Christa was helped her get dressed, and was guarding the door so none of the men caught a peek at her wedding dress. Her hands were shaking as she tried to help her sister, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Nik, I swear, if you don't start learning how to breath again, you're going to hyperventilate and pass out! Calm down!" Christa grumbled as she finished getting the dress fastened in the right places, taking a step back to look at her sister. The dress was long, coming down over Nik's feet, an array of Austrian crystals set all over the skirt and bodice, making it sparkle. It was strapless, which made Nik more than a little self conscious, but Christa had reassured her that she was beautiful.

Her veil was long, reaching past her waist and being held on her head with a small tiara with the same crystals adorning it. Christa had curled her hair and then pined it up on her head in a mass of silky smooth curls that actually looked good to Nik. Looking at herself in the mirror, Nik fussed with her dress, frowning a bit about the whole thing. "I look like a cow, Christa, look at me!" Rolling her eyes, the blond put a hand on her sister's stomach, "You're not fat and you aren't a cow, you're just pregnant…again…"

A glare from the younger woman made her laugh and she pulled her in for a tight hug, "No one could look more beautiful than you are right now, Nik." Her eyes teared up and she quickly moved away from her sister, "Alright Chris, knock it off before you make this stupid make-up start running all over my face." Laughing, Christa adjusted her own dress and then picked up her small bouquet of flowers, kissing her sister's cheek and then leaving the room so she could go inform everyone that they were ready to begin the ceremony.

Picking up her bouquet, Nik looked at herself in the mirror one last time before a knock sounded on the door. "Who is it? Sig if you're at the door again, I'm going to make you wait another month!" Laughter came from the other side of the door as Phil Harris walked into the room and looked at her with a smile. "I promise, I'm not Sig. You look beautiful, Nik, you'll give Sig a heart attack." She laughed and threw her arms around Phil's shoulders, hugging him tightly to her, "If he has a heart attack, I'm blaming Christa for it, she's the one who made me wear this."

Phil laughed and kissed her forehead and then took a step back from her, "You sure you're going to walk down the deck alone?" She nodded and put a hand on his arm, "I'll walk alone, unless there was something you wanted to say, Captain Harris." He almost rolled his eyes before holding out his arm to herm "Come along Captain Sanders, I'm going to walk you to your husband to be." Smiling happily, Nik took his arm and they left Sig's state room to go up onto the main deck.

The whole deck had been cleaned, neat as a pin, by Nik and Sig's crews, having decorated it as well for the wedding. The crews from the Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard, Maverick, along with Greg and Ragnhild Moncrief had shown up for the occasion. Christa was standing beside Edgar, the two of them laughing and joking around about the intense look on Sig's face. He was just as nervous as Nik was, and he was trying not to let everyone else know just how nervous he was. Unfortunately, it wasn't working, everyone knew the Northwestern Captain was shaking in his shoes.

Leaning over, Edgar spoke to his brother, "You know, if you'd relax a little, you won't pass out when she comes on deck." Sig shot his brother a frown and then tried to get himself into a calmer state before the ceremony started. "Daddy! Daddy! Mommy's coming!" A small boy dressed like Sig, bright blue eyes and soft blond curls came zipping across the deck straight toward Sig. Everyone started laughing as Sig bent down and scooped his son up into his arms.

"You've been spying on mommy again, cheater, you got to see her dress first." Sig playfully said before he kissed his son's forehead and then put him down on his feet. "Alright Erik, stand beside me and behave for a few minutes, then you can play." The boy smiled at Sig and nodded, standing quietly beside his father, though he was having a hard time of being quiet with all of the excitement on the boat.

Nik and Phil appeared from below deck and murmurs started to rise from the guests when they turned to see her. A blush crossed her face as she held Phil's arm tightly and let him lead her toward Sig, who has his eyes locked on her. He wanted to run to her, lift her off her feet and kiss her breathless because of how happy he was at this moment. Jake and Josh Harris were talking to each other and then both of them whistled at Nik, smiles on their faces. Turning her head, Nik cast them a glare that said they were going to get it later and they paled, making Phil laugh softly.

When they reached Sig, Phil put her hand in his and then kissed her forehead before stepping back from them. Nik smiled at Phil and then looked at her soon to be husband, gently squeezing his hand before turning to look at Andy. Somehow, Andy Hillstrand had been appointed as the one who would be marrying them, since he was a Captain and all. Nik still didn't know if it was a good idea, but as long as they were married, she didn't care what happened.

Sig was focused entirely on Nik, his heart beating faster in his chest when she turned to look at him with a soft smile. Neither of them were paying Andy that much attention anymore, completely focused on each other and little else. He was admiring how she appeared to be almost glowing, just like she had been when she was pregnant with Erik. Nik was trying not to get impatient, glancing over at Andy, who caught on and decided to skip the formalities.

"Alright, we're going to do this wedding crabber style. Nik, do you take Sig to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Andy asked as he got a grin on his face, knowing she'd been annoyed with the slow process of this wedding stuff. "I do, I do a thousand times over." She said as she smiled at Sig, both of her hands holding his now. "Sig, do you take Nik to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Not even looking away from her eyes, he answered, "I do." It was simple, but those two words had been hard to get out, he couldn't think straight when she was looking at him like that, it made him melt.

Erik stepped up beside his parents with a grin on his face, holding up a ring to each of them, trying his best to behave a little longer. Nik laughed and took the ring from him, leaning down and kissing her son's soft curls before standing back up. Sig took the ring from Erik's other hand and ruffled his hair before looking back at Nik. "Alright kids, vows and rings, Nik you're up first." Andy said as he looked at her with a smile.

"Ever since the day I met you, I knew I loved you. You've made me the happiest woman on the entire planet, and I love you more every day, Sig Hansen." She said before sliding the white gold ring onto his finger, lifting his hand and pressing a kiss over the ring. When she was finished, she let go of his hand, her eyes meeting his again. The nervousness was gone from her now, and all she wanted to do was hug him to her and never let go again.

"Nik, the day I first saw you, it was like sunlight filled my whole life. You fought your way into my heart and refused to let go. Then you gave me a son, you made me see that I couldn't live my life without you in it. I'll love you until the day I die and even longer than that, Nik Sanders." His voice was rough with emotion and Nik felt tears well up in her eyes as she watched him slide the ring onto her finger and then place a kiss over it like she'd done with his.

Andy cleared his throat, trying not to look too shaken up over the intense emotions the two had expressed toward each other. "I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Sig Hansen, now kiss your bride so we can get to the party!" Everyone started laughing as Sig tossed Nik's veil back and pulled her close to him, stroking her cheek gently. She smiled, still feeling breathless when she was in his arms like this, sliding her own arms around his shoulders. He laughed softly and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers as the deck erupted into cheering for the two of them.

When they broke the kiss, Nik hugged him tightly, closing her eyes from how amazing it felt to finally be married to him. "Mommy, throw the flowers!" Erik squealed as he tugged gently on her dress to get her attention. Laughing softly, Nik let go of Sig and turned her back to the deck, tossing the bouquet of flowers over her head and straight into the crowd of men, the only two women being Christa and Ragnhild, who were trying not to get between any of the men.

The bouquet flew through the air and then ended up landing right in Phil's hands, who had a freaked out look on his face now. "Oh no, don't even think about it, I'm not getting married again, forget it Nik!" She burst out laughing and turned to look at him as Sig put an arm around her shoulders, also laughing about Phil's good luck. "Ah come on Phil, married life is great! You just need to find yourself a good woman, that's all!" Rolling his eyes, Phil finally started laughing, and shrugged his shoulders, he couldn't argue with her, she always won.

Catching sight of Jake and Josh, Nik got a devious grin on her face before leaning toward Sig, "Excuse me sweetheart, I've got some revenge to dish out…" Sig was about to ask her what she was doing when she handed him her shoes and then squirmed out of her dress, revealing jeans and a strapless top. Christa rushed forward and scooped up the dress as the rest of the people started laughing as Nik ran straight toward the two Harris boys, bare feet and all.

Erik gave a cry and rushed off after his mother, leaving a stunned Sig Hansen standing there holding his wife's shoes. Jake and Josh screamed and ran from Nik as soon as they saw her coming, the whole deck turning into an obstacle course for the four of them. Shaking his head, Sig handed her shoes to Christa and then took off after his wife with a grin. Nik squealed when he lifted her off the deck and into his arms, laughing softly. "Haven't you learned that running on a crab boat is dangerous, Mrs. Hansen?" She laughed and kissed him softly, "So is fishing on the Bering Sea, but look what luck and riches it gave me, Captain Hansen…."


	19. A Note To Readers

Dear Readers:

Dear Readers:

LOL! Was it that big of a hit? I've got e-mails of people crying over this story not wanting it to end! However, I did promise an awesome group of people that when I finished this one that I'd start work on another one for them, the votes aren't in yet, but please stay tuned for a new story about another of our Bering Sea boys!

Aside from that, there WILL be a sequel to this, don't scream yet, but its going to take a little time. I'm trying to plan something out very carefully for the sequel, I don't want to ruin the first one with a second part that totally sucks, lol. So bear with me and be patient, I will bring you more Deadliest Catch goodness as soon as possible!


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